Ms Showstopper
by MsJB
Summary: Jade Michaels may be the daughter of HBK, but that fact alone isn't what made her number one contender. Hard work pays off, and soon she's called up to the main roster from NXT. Leaving her past in Florida behind, Jade finds herself reminiscing of her childhood as her dad joins her on the road, and another man somehow finds a way to steal her heart. OC/Dean
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi, everybody! First off, just want to say I have been reading fanfics for a long, long time, and I've finally worked up the courage to post one of my own. I hope you like it :) Constructive criticism is always welcome! I've posted a couple chapters just to give you a taste for what is to come. Right now the story is rated T. I'm almost positive it will eventually become an M because, well, come on. We all want to read a lemon about Dean Ambrose. ANYWHO, thanks for stopping by, and let me know what you guys think!**_

 _ **Sunday, February 7, 2016**_

Jade held the contract in her hands. Earlier today she had signed it, Paul Levesque and Stephanie McMahon both in attendance at the WWE Performance Center this morning when she did, and she had been staring at it for the better part of the evening in disbelief. All this hard work, the blood, sweat, and tears, had paid off. She was moving up to the main roster in a few weeks, and the toil at NXT had been worth it. Seven years had passed since she turned 18 and began her training in the ring.

"I still can't believe it." Leah came rushing over to sit beside her, a glass of white wine in each hand as they sat on the couch in Jade's living room. Leah was better known by her ring name, Carmella, and the two of them had grown close over the past few years during their tenure at NXT.

"Me neither. I mean, I have always wanted this." Jade shook her head taking the wine from Leah's hand. She set the contract on her coffee table and glanced at the TV that went ignored in the background.

"You're destined for greatness. With a last name like Michaels, you are meant to be in that ring." Leah smirked as she took a sip and leaned back into the couch.

"Not necessarily." Jade cracked a smile. Her dad was Shawn, the Heartbreak Kid himself. Despite the shadow he cast over her, she never allowed herself to be intimidated by him, instead using his fame as fuel to become his equal in the women's division. They also had a pretty complicated relationship, but that was besides the point.

His first wife Teresa was her mom, and their marriage was short-lived ending in divorce by 1994. He was out of their lives just shy of her fourth birthday with the only glimpses she caught of him after that on television. It wasn't until she was about seven that he re-emerged, albeit only a few weeks at a time each year, and at ten that he re-married and swore that he was a saved man. He had struggled with his demons throughout the years, and the gaps in their relationship reflected that.

People liked to make it sound like Jade was skilled because she was his daughter, but it couldn't have been further from the truth. Her whole life she had went by her mother's maiden name and refused to accept the praise and adoration of her trainers and co-workers whenever they referred to her lineage. 'Michaels' was something she added to her ring name, Jade, to quell the appetite of the higher ups in the company upon her debut, and no doubt her own father. Her long, dark hair and rocker look in the ring wasn't like his character at all, the name and glint in their eyes the only similarity between the two.

"It seems like yesterday we were both here, all bright-eyed and bushy tailed." Leah gushed. "Now you're leaving us, moving up to the big leagues."

"You'll be right behind me." Jade nodded at her setting her glass down on her coffee table. She turned to AMC, the newest episode of Walking Dead about to begin as it was Sunday night.

"Whatever happens, don't forget to have fun." Leah smiled and tucked a strand of her long, blond hair behind her ear. Jade returned her expression and sank further back into the cushions of the couch. It was terrifying, to say the least, but all of her training and hard work over the years had led her here. Her dream was about to come true.

 _ **Monday, February 15, 2016**_

How Jade was going to get through this day without throwing up was beyond her. She was used to the grind, the hard work and the long matches to get the crowd on their feet. She could even handle the creative team shoving directions down her throat when all she wanted was to be herself. But having all of this on a much larger scale up in WWE was overwhelming, to say the least, and the ball of nerves in her stomach was going to get the best of her if she couldn't calm down. All week she had been putting in extra time training hoping it would help her conquer her fear.

"Alright, Jade. Try it again. We need to get this downpat for Monday." Sara was in the ring, one of the head trainers at the WWE Performance Center, and she had Jade running a series of drills in the ring.

"I feel comfortable." Jade lied through her teeth as she panted for breath. Sara was known to push everyone to their limits because, as she always said, practice makes perfect. But Jade had been practicing for almost two hours now, and Ariane, aka Cameron, was obviously exhausted from taking Sweet Chin Music and tornado DDTs over and over again. Sara demanded perfection, and Jade was doing her best to give that to her.

"One more time. I think Ariane needs a break after this." Sara suppressed a grin glancing over at the woman.

"You think?" Ariane groaned as she stood tall again. "All right, girl. You got this."

Jade took a deep breath and shook her hands out. The nerves of moving up to the main roster was making what should have been a routine refresher into a total nightmare. Never in her life did she ever have this much trouble making her dad's famous finisher look believable.

She took a few steps towards Cameron and lifted her leg high in the air. It contacted with her chin, just barely, and she slapped her thigh with force as she hit her. Ariane was dazed, her knees Jell-o below her as she stumbled a few steps back. Jade lunged towards the corner and jumped to the second rope. Without skipping a beat, she flew towards her target and grappled her head under her arm. Landing the Tornado DDT with force, Cameron's head slammed into the mat with conviction and Jade landed safely beside her.

"Awesome." Sara clapped a few times. "Much better. That's all for today."

"Thank god." Ariane rolled to the apron and out of the ring. She smirked back at Jade to show she truly wasn't upset about the whole ordeal but proceeded towards the change room before Sara could change her mind.

"Don't forget what we talked about. Your moves are fine, they always are. It's the rhythm. Don't lose it once you get out there in front of the crowd." Sara assured her as Jade stood slowly from the mat.

"I'm nervous." Jade finally confessed now that her co-worker was out of earshot.

"I know." Sara said quietly. "You'll do great, just like you did in NXT. Everyone knows who you are. It's no surprise to them that you'll be joining the main roster. Just stay focussed, and all will be fine." Sara slapped her on the shoulder with a grin and exited the ring down the stairs.

Jade tried to believe her. It was hard to think that this whole transition would be painless. Working for NXT was no walk in the park, of course, but it also involved her having a home base in Florida. She had an apartment, a routine during the week, and Full Sail Arena was a ten-minute drive from her place. If her father had taught her anything, it was that being in the WWE took over your life, and you would never have time for family, let alone anything else.

Jade got out of the ring. Her water bottle on the apron was soon in her hands, and she chugged it back as she glanced around the gym. A few people were working out, some hopefuls that she had never met before and Cass and Leah doing cardio together near the back wall. Then he walked in.

Fergal, or Finn as most people were calling him now, entered the gym from the change room. His blue eyes were trained on his phone as he sauntered towards the weight rack and popped headphones into his ears. Jade's heart skipped a beat seeing him, which somehow she had avoided for over a week, and she nervously grabbed her own phone to look preoccupied. Maybe if he didn't see her she wouldn't have to talk to him, but it would take some definite stealth.

Jade picked up her towel and water bottle again and went straight to the wall behind him. She walked quickly but quietly, her eyes staring at the back of his head as she tried to sneak past without him seeing. She breathed a sigh of relief steps away from the women's locker room door.

"Jade?"

 _God fucking damn it._ She thought to herself.

"Oh, hey." She turned and pretended she was surprised to see him, which really wasn't that hard to fake, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I work here." He said shrugging. That stupid smile of his made Jade's stomach twist again, and his dumb accent that was for some reason so cute made her want to kick him in the teeth. Why did he have to be so charming?

"I know that. I just – well, I don't see you here often. We must be on different schedules." Jade tried to play it cool without making her anger towards him so obvious. There was a long story behind this guy.

"Must be." He said taking the other headphone out of his ear. "Hey, I hear you got called up to the main roster. Congrats."

"Thanks." Jade tried not to stare into his eyes, the ones that had made her fall in love so long ago, and instead took a nervous swig of her water bottle not sure what else to say.

"Bet your dad's proud." Finn smiled again.

"Oh yeah." Jade said with certainty snapping her bottle closed. "Thrilled. But hey, I've gotta get going. Have a good one." She forced a smile and nodded at him before entering the locker room leaving his stupid smiling mug behind her.

"Goodbye, Jade."

 _Goodbye, Jade._ She repeated in her head, accentuating the way he said her name. How could he just act like everything was cool between them when it obviously wasn't? For almost a year they dated back when Jade was a rookie at NXT and before Finn became champion. He was a nice guy back then, always treating her right and being respectful of her putting wrestling before anything else in her life. But as soon as he got on his title run about to defeat Kevin Owens to become NXT Champ, he changed. He became distant to the point where she felt he was avoiding her after shows and not answering her texts or phone calls.

He came right out and broke up with her a few days before he won the title claiming that he 'needed more time to focus on himself,' that he 'wasn't emotionally stable enough for a relationship.' Jade believed him. She gave him space, as much as it broke her heart, and stepped back while her ex-boyfriend took over the scene and became the fans' favourite superstar. He climbed the ladder and stayed there, his reign as champ impressive.

Jade climbed the ladder too becoming Women's Champion as well, their reign simultaneous for a period of time, and she thought maybe that would bring them closer again. If anything, it pushed them farther apart. Jade became tired of waiting for him to make up his mind and swore him off for good. Then she heard a month ago he has a new girlfriend, a chick that lives here in Florida that isn't in the business, and it broke her fucking heart.

Now they were acquaintances, co-workers, someone that Jade avoided like the plague. Another perk to leaving NXT was leaving Finn, but she knew it would only be for a while. One day he would get called up to the main roster too, and she hoped by then she will have healed a bit more. It made her want to throw up whenever he was around.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Monday, February 22, 2016**_

Jade parked her car behind the arena, the valet running to greet her as she emerged from her vehicle. The drive from Orlando to Miami didn't take long, and she was thankful her first night on RAW was somewhere close to where she had been for so long.

"You must be Jade." The young man asked her holding his hands out for her keys. She gave him a funny look and dropped them in his hands, her eyes wandering across the sparse parking lot for a familiar face. It was early, and most people probably hadn't arrived by now, but she was here bright and early for her first day on the main roster.

"Hold up." Jade called out as she popped her trunk open. Pulling out a few bags, she nodded at the young man and made her way towards the back entrance that was lined with semis. The amount of production she could see was already staggering compared to NXT, and she felt her throat catch as she got closer to the large steel doors.

"Good morning, Ms. Michaels. Head on in and take a right at the first hallway to get to the offices." A young woman smiled at her and held the door open as she entered.

"Thanks." Jade smiled awkwardly as she entered dragging her two rolling bags behind her. This place was already a step up.

She stepped inside, the air-conditioned air hitting her like a brick wall as the door shut behind her. The stark, concrete hallways with tall ceilings brought back memories, even if she had never set foot in this building a day in her life. After that fateful seventh birthday, her dad would bring her on the road with him for a week every summer. Their travels took them across the country, every city full of fans chanting her father's name. It was when she really got to know who he was.

Memories from long ago floated through her mind as she turned towards the women's locker room. Her dad's friends would make her laugh and throw her around like she weighed nothing. Hunter would chase her down the halls until she got to the girls' room then wait outside to scare the living shit out of her again when she finally mustered the courage to leave. Sunny would do Jade's hair and nails and let her try on her ring clothes, even if she was swimming in them as a kid. Funny how the acoustics of a backstage arena could evoke such memories.

Jade stepped into the dressing room and laid her eyes on the only other woman in there: Paige, a person she not only respected but loved as a true friend, sat on a bench near the back obviously waiting for her to arrive.

"Well, if it isn't Jade Michaels."

"Paige." Jade smiled over at her and let her grip on the bags loosen.

"Get over here, sweetheart." Paige's thick accent made Jade's nerves subside. It was a familiar voice, one that she was hoping she would get to hear sooner than later. They hugged, Paige standing and laughing when Jade squealed with delight reaching out for her.

"It's your time." Paige said letting go and looking Jade in the eye.

"Thanks, man." Jade wiped a tear from her eye before it had a chance to fall. "I can't fucking believe it's come to this."

"That's hard work!" Paige nudged her shoulder. "Hard work and dedication."

"Anyone else here?" Jade asked sitting down to rummage through her bags.

"Steph is in her office, and a few others usually show up for free breakfast in catering." Paige nodded behind her. "Leave your stuff here and we'll grab a bite to eat."

"Alright." Jade shoved her bags into a shelf behind Paige and followed her out of the dressing room. It wasn't what she expected, but she was more than relieved to see her friend there waiting for her on her first day. To say she was nervous to face the entire crew and talent alone was an understatement, and knowing that she had a familiar face with her made her feel a bit better.

"You ready to feud with me, girl?" Paige glanced at her over her shoulder, her voice taunting her like she had in the ring so many times back when they both were in NXT.

"For the title?" Jade asked incredulously as they rounded the corner down the hall.

"Don't get cocky, now." Paige frowned at her, and Jade burst out laughing at the sour look on her face.

* * *

Paige had Becky Lynch on the mat. After a series of blows to the head and an Irish Whip into the corner, Becky writhed on the ground as the champion gloated on the top rope. It wasn't her style to finish off her opponents quickly. She liked to make them suffer.

"This is MY house!" She screamed to the crowd, a mix of cheers and boos erupting as she called out to them. She stood motioning her hands around her waist, her title belt sitting with the timekeeper not far from the ring, and glared into the crowd.

Just then, Jade's music hit; Six by All That Remains. She had used it as an entrance since back in her developmental days, and it thundered through the arena to a stunned audience. There was silence for a second until everyone began to cheer, Jade's name flashing across the screen as her entrance movie played. She emerged at the top of the stage and stared at the champion in the ring soaking up the moment as the crowd popped.

"What is she doing here?" Paige screamed at the ref who was shaking his head he didn't know. Becky still laid on the mat, pulling herself under the ropes as Jade began to make her way to the ring.

"Jade! Jade! Jade!" Everyone chanted as she strode down the ramp pointing to the crowd before training her eyes on Paige again. She was backing away into the far corner of the ring, unknowingly towards where her opponent was lying in wait.

Becky took advantage of the distraction and pulled Paige's feet out from underneath her as she laid on the apron. It knocked the wind out of her leaving the champion lying on her back. Becky rolled out of the ring to safety and watched Jade jump up into the ring. Her music abruptly stopped, the noise of the crowd really hitting her strong, and she watched Paige struggle to get back up as she entered through the second rope. Jade crouched and grinned in anticipation watching her finally stand up and stumble into the centre of the ring.

Sweet Chin Music. The crowd popped as she paid homage to her father, the chants for HBK beginning already. She waited a few moments as the anticipation built and then hit her with a tornado DDT. It was a harsh introduction, but her RAW debut had to start with a bang, and the crowd loved it. She stood in the middle of the ring and raised her arms over her head, the ref ringing the bell and calling for a disqualification due to outside interference.

"She's out!" Jade screamed jumping up to the top rope. Fans screamed as her music erupted again, and she pointed to an especially excited young girl in the crowd wearing one of her t-shirts.

Her gloating didn't last long as Becky near her not too happy about the interruption but kept her distance from the feisty newcomer outside of the ring. They had a history in NXT as well, but it was tame compared to the champion and Jade. Anyone who watched NXT would know the women would be at each other's throats every week.

Sliding under the ropes and making her way back to the stage, she motioned her hands around her waist in an effort to mock Paige as the crowd cheered her on.

"That title will be mine!" Jade shouted as Paige began to come to, her first demand her belt be brought to her. "Things are going to change around here."

* * *

"It was great, Jade." Stephanie patted her on the back as she tried to catch her breath. "Your father must be so proud of you."

"Thank you." Jade was still shaking from the whole experience, but the nerves had lifted and were replaced with pure joy. She had totally kicked ass out there, and everything went off without a hitch. A part of her couldn't wait to call her mom and dad and see if he had been watching, but she knew Shawn had probably already called her and left a voicemail. He usually did after a big match, and tonight was definitely in that category.

"Nice work, kid." Michael Hayes winked at Jade from his seat. Vince cracked a smile, and she grinned back happy that everyone was reacting so positively.

"I'll see you later. Celebrate – you deserve it." Steph grinned again and left Jade's side returning to her seat beside her father.

Jade took a drink of water and pushed through the curtain separating gorilla from the rest of backstage and walked towards the dressing room where Paige was already gearing down. She felt her heart racing as she replayed the entire scene in her head over and over critiquing her every move. It had gone well, better than she expected thanks to the fans' reaction, but there was always room for improvement. She couldn't wait to give Paige a huge hug for putting her over.

"Hey." A gruff voice tore Jade from her thoughts, and she glanced up at the tall figure she had nearly walked straight into.

"Hi." She said quietly. It was Dean Ambrose, his name outside of the squared circle Jon Good. He was in his ring gear and headed where she just came from no doubt in time for his own match.

"You did good." He said simply as he rubbed his taped hands together. His eyes scanned up and down her short frame finally stopping to stare into hers.

"Thanks." Jade didn't know what else to say, his demeanour making her a bit uncomfortable as he towered over her. He was much bigger standing in front of her than he looked on television. She forced a smile and continued walking, not sure what else to say and also just wanting to sit down and gather her thoughts.

She glanced over her shoulder at him expecting him to be almost at gorilla at this point, but was still just standing there wringing his hands together like a maniac. His steely eyes were trained on her, and she quickly looked ahead of her again wondering why in the hell he was staring as she walked away. Something about his uneasy gaze made her nervous, but she pushed the thought from her mind and focussed again on Paige and the encounter they just had.

The crowd roared as Jon's music began to play, Michael screaming for him to hurry the fuck up from gorilla position. Was he still standing there? She was almost at the bend in the hall and couldn't stop herself from looking back one more time, barely catching a glimpse of him disappearing behind the long black curtain.

* * *

Jade was in her hotel room with Paige and Matt, the three of them eating room service at the small table and barely paying attention to the Rocky movie that played on television behind them. It had been a long night, but Jade didn't feel an ounce of exhaustion. Still riding the adrenaline from her debut earlier in the night, she was wide awake and ready to act on Steph's advice. It was time to celebrate.

"What did your dad say?" Paige asked taking a bite of her cheeseburger. How the girl ate like she did and maintained her physique was beyond Jade.

"He was happy." Jade shrugged as she mixed her salad together.

"That's it?" Matt chuckled. He knew how Jade felt about her dad but pressed for more details.

"I actually haven't talked to him yet." Jade admitted.

"What?" Paige nearly shouted. "Why the hell not?"

"He called and left a voicemail. It's too late now." She glanced at the clock by her bed that read 10:14 p.m.

"Fuck that." Matt shook his head. "I'm sure he would love to hear from you. Your mom too."

"You sound like my mom." Jade smiled. "I'll call them in the morning. If anyone understands, it's my dad."

"I guess." Paige shrugged popping a French fry in her mouth. "I think it's weird he wasn't here to watch you."

"I didn't want him here." Jade blurted out. She felt her cheeks flush as her friends were quiet, both of them understanding her feelings about her father. It was complicated.

"You put up a good front, Jade." Matt leaned back in his chair pushing his empty plate away from him. "Anyone else would be milking that angle for all it was worth."

"So are we gonna go have a few drinks or what?" Jade changed the subject. Paige smiled and nodded, her mouth full of food, and Matt gave Jade a look for avoiding the topic.

"There's a bar downstairs." He suggested. Jade smiled and stood from her seat leaving her half-eaten salad on the table.

"Good enough for me. I think I deserve a beer."

* * *

Tomorrow was another long day, one that involved driving from Miami back to Tampa where Smackdown was being taped. It would be Jade's first match, a short one against Alicia Fox that was meant to put Jade over even more. She swore she would only have one beer, but that turned to two once she's spent nearly an hour introducing herself to people she would be working with for the foreseeable future. Production crew, creative, and some talent she didn't have the opportunity to work with before came and said hello to her as she stood in the bar. It was adjacent to the front door, mostly everyone finding her while heading in for the night. Almost every person mentioned her dad and how proud he must be, how Jade did his finisher justice better than anyone else could. She nodded and thanked each one of them, her excitement masking her usual demeanour whenever someone compared her to him. She would be lying if she didn't say it felt right to be there doing that move in front of a live crowd on RAW. She was her father's daughter, after all.

"Anyway, nice to meet you." Colby nodded at her after their short conversation. Jade had never met Seth Rollins, or Tyler Black as she knew him from watching ROH for so many years. It was nice of him to stop by on his way upstairs to introduce himself. Paige might have had something to do with it, as Jade noticed their side glances at each other the whole conversation.

"You too." She smiled as he left the bar, his bag slung over his shoulder. Star-struck wasn't the word she was looking for, but something had to define what she was feeling meeting all of these people for the first time as equals. Admiration, maybe, but it made her feel great knowing she was finally where she was meant to be: On the main roster.

"Where's Victoria?" Paige asked taking a sip of her fruity cocktail and glancing around the bar for Alicia Fox.

"Not sure." Jade returned. Matt was on the other side of the room chatting with a few other people. She didn't really know anybody else there, everyone probably locals or crew she had never met.

"Watch my drink. I'll be back." Paige set her glass down beside Jade's beer and pushed herself off the counter.

"Where are you going?" Jade asked nervously. She was a bit of an introvert, despite her career choice, and a room full of strangers, especially the gawking fans in the corner, made her uncomfortable.

"If you must know, I have to use the restroom." Paige frowned. "Come with if you want. We can't very well bring those in with us." She pointed at their drinks on the bar and Jade thought for a moment.

"Just be quick. We should head upstairs soon anyway." She responded realizing it had to be past 11:30 by now. Paige nodded and left, and Jade took out her phone so she would have something to stare at while she waited.

 _1 missed call  
Dad  
10:43 p.m._

 _1 new voicemail  
Dad  
10:45 p.m._

Jade felt her heart sink. Maybe she should have called him back. Not like that thought ever crossed his mind years ago. She had texted her mom earlier in the day and explained she would call in the morning. As much as she resented her dad barely reaching out to her for all those years, a part of her felt like maybe she should have texted him too.

She stuffed her phone back in her purse and grabbed both her and Paige's drink. There was an empty booth at the back away from the busyness of the lobby and she needed to sit down. Her head was spinning trying to remember the names of all the people she had just met, minus the talent, and who knew how long Paige would be.

"You rock, Jade!" A man called out to her from another booth as she passed by. There were four of them sitting together, a grin plastered over all of their faces with a pint of beer in front of each one.

"Thanks." Jade smiled at him as she kept walking. If the fans were happy, she was happy.

Reaching the end of the row of tables, she slid into the booth with her back to the now raucous group of men that encouraged her moments ago. She tried not to hear them egg one guy on to come say hello and secretly wished he wouldn't give into their drunken pleadings. Taking a sip of her beer, she set it back down before taking out her phone. Maybe texting her dad at this point would be better than nothing.

"Hey, mind if I sit down?" The man she recognized from the booth emerged from behind her with a sweaty brow. He looked nervous, and Jade gave him her best babyface smile.

"Hey, there. Yeah. Actually, I'm just waiting for a friend." She glanced back down at her phone hoping he would take a hint. The guy paused for a moment before continuing.

"I just wanted to say, I'm a big fan. You beating Paige for the NXT Women's Championship was one of the best matches I've seen in years. I – I'm Greg, by the way." With that, he slid into the seat across from her, and Jade sat up straight in response.

"I – uh, well thanks. Glad you liked it. I really don't think –"

"Maybe I could buy you a drink. I mean, you and whoever's drinking this." He poked at Paige's red concoction and smiled up at her. Jade could tell the guy was persistent, and his devilish grin and Stone Cold t-shirt clued her in.

"I'm fine, thanks." Jade tried not to cringe too noticeably. "Nice meeting you."

"I'm sure you're sick of hearing it, but your dad is amazing. I mean, you doing his superkick is just gold. Nobody else can –"

"You seem like a nice guy, Greg. I'm just a little tired, and when my friend gets back I'm gonna call it a night." She set her phone down and pulled Paige's drink a little bit closer to her away from the sweaty man.

"You can't stick around? Maybe your friend will want to." Greg smirked and tapped his fingers on the table, Jade not sure if he was growing impatient or if it was just a nervous tick.

"No thanks." Jade said with finality leaning back in her seat away from him. This is exactly why she was hesitant about Paige leaving.

"I'll keep you company for a bit, then." Greg leaned back as well and crossed his arms over his chest. Before Jade could get another word out, a rough voice behind her made her jump in her seat, though her reaction was pale in comparison to Greg who saw the face of whomever it was.

"Hope I'm not interrupting." Jon approached the table sending the guy an icy glare. If looks could kill, Jade thought, this guy would be long gone.

"Not at all." She piped up quickly. Greg looked like he had died and went to heaven after the initial shock.

"Dean Ambrose? Holy fuck. I can't believe this. You guys, it's –" Greg peered over Jade's head shouting to his friends still hiding in their booth.

"Yeah, yeah. It's me, Dean fuckin' Ambrose. How about you beat it?" Jon nodded towards the group of men that were now all watching. Greg was quiet for a second, his eyes glancing over at Jade who was awkwardly trying to find something to look at. As much as she appreciated the interruption, she didn't know if the situation warranted such a strong reaction.

"Yeah." Greg stuttered as he fumbled out of the booth. "Nice to meet you." With that he walked back to his table with his tail tucked between his legs, all the courage he had mustered up to talk to Jade now vanished. She forced a smile as he left and waited for Jon's next move.

He slid into the booth across from her and ran a hand through his hair, his loud exhale making her squirm a bit. He seemed so casual, and she found it was odd that he would just invite himself to sit down after kicking the guy to the curb. A part of Jade admired his confidence, but she tried to keep that thought from spreading a grin across her face.

"Ms. Michaels herself. Didn't know when you would be making your way up here." He adjusted the drinks in front of them so he could lean forward, his strong arms crossing on the table as he spoke. "I'm Jon."

"I know." Jade's voice cracked. "I mean, I know who you are."

"Oh yeah?" He cocked an eyebrow and shot her a smile, one that she couldn't help but return.

"Yeah. Dean Ambrose, the Lunatic Fringe." She mocked as he continued to grin. "Although that little show there was more Jon Moxley."

"So you do know me." He wiped his mouth as if to get rid of his smile. Jade couldn't help but notice his demeanour was so different than earlier in the night when she bumped into him at the arena. The glaze over his eyes was gone, and his casual clothing masked his intimidating form.

"I do." Jade held back another smile. Something about the way he leaned over the table towards her made her heart race. He was handsome, his hair falling into his eyes and hiding their blue colour, and he kept smiling at her as if waiting for her to say something more.

"I'm sure you've heard how great you did tonight." He said lifting a finger towards the table of men who were now awfully quiet.

"I have." Jade said tucking her long hair behind her ear. "Thanks."

"Thought the DDT was a bit sloppy myself." He raised his eyebrows and reached across the table to snatch Jade's beer. She let out a laugh watching him boldly take a sip and slide it back towards her. If he was trying to hit on her, he sure had an interesting way of going about it.

"Oh yeah?" She asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Superkick was spot on though." A grin flashed across his face as he stared her down, his arms crossing in front of him again as he leaned towards her. Jade was quiet, his eyes almost piercing right through her as she thought of what to say. It wasn't often she was at a loss for words, but something about him made her clam up.

"Just thought I'd stop by, introduce myself." Suddenly he pushed himself up off the table and towered over her.

"Take care, Jon." She said quietly, the sight of Paige walking towards them in the corner of her vision as he exited the booth. He smiled at her once more before walking away, a confused Paige coming to take his place and giving Jade a strange look.

"What did he want?" She suspiciously watched him walk away and grabbed her drink.

"Just saying hello." Jade tried to remain nonchalant and hesitantly took a swig of her beer before standing up. "I'm ready for bed. C'mon."

"Never seen him smile like that." Paige muttered to herself following her roomie towards the elevator.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Tuesday, February 23**_ _ **rd**_ _ **, 2016**_

" _Jade! How's it goin'?"_

" _I'm good, dad. How are you?"_

" _Fine, fine. You did great last night. What a pop!"_

" _It was awesome. It felt good out there."_

" _I know, darlin'. I could tell. You did your ol' dad good out there with that Sweet Chin Music."_

" _Thanks. Hey, sorry I didn't call you back last night."_

" _Don't worry about it. I know how it is. Bet you were out with the boys. Well, the girls, I guess. No boys."_

" _C'mon, dad."_

" _I mean it."_

" _Yeah. Well, anyway, it was a long day, and by the time I was in my room, I had –"_

" _Don't worry about it, Jade! I mean it! I'm just glad you called now."_

" _Yeah."_

" _You in Tampa yet?"_

" _Got here about 20 minutes ago, think I'm gonna crash for a bit."_

" _Did you talk to your mom?"_

" _I just did."_

" _Why are you laughing?"_

" _It's just – well, she loved it. It was nice to hear since she usually, you know, doesn't."_

" _That's great. So happy for you.  
Hey, they asked me again about the angle."_

" _What?"_

" _The angle. Between Ric and Ashley and us. I think it could work."_

" _Who asked you?"_

" _Hunter."_

" _We'll talk about it, dad. You know how I feel. Seems a little quick."_

" _I know. Think about it. And hey, I'm proud of you. So proud."_

" _Love you, dad."_

" _Love you too, darlin'. Keep workin' hard."_

 _ **Saturday, February 26**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2016**_

It had been a long week. After filming Smackdown on Tuesday and running a gamut of training sessions and other appointments, Jade was enjoying her downtime. It was the first day she had to herself since moving up to the main roster, and after going to the gym, she planned on relaxing.

Jade hadn't seen Jon since he swooped in to 'save' her at the bar on Monday night. He had been around, but their paths never crossed, and Jade didn't go out of her way to find him. Her crazy schedule didn't leave her time to worry about a particular person and their flirtatious advances on her. Her phone buzzed in her hand as she entered her hotel room, today in Austin, Texas, and she threw her gym bag onto her bed before looking at it.

 _Hey! Want to go shopping? Paige is here too._

Victoria was a cool chick. After their match on Tuesday they had spent quite a bit of time together. Paige and Vicky were best friends, so it made sense that Jade would like her. Despite that fact, she was tired and wanted to crawl into bed and watch TV. She debated for a moment and decided to meet up with the girls. A nap could wait until later.

 _Sure. Where should we meet? I'll be ready in ten._

Jade glanced in the mirror and winced at her greasy hair that was up in a bun and her smudged makeup. She needed to shower after the workout she just put in before anyone could see her like this. She quickly sent another text before running into the bathroom.

 _Make it 30._

* * *

"How the hell did you spend four hours shopping?" Matt's voice on the other end of Jade's phone made her roll her eyes. The guy may have been Prince Pretty, but he related to her hatred of shopping despite his character choice.

"I dunno. Victoria couldn't find the right shoes." She answered.

"Insane. Call me later." He said before hanging up, and Jade slammed the door of her rental car closed. She was in the parking lot of the hotel wearing a pair of jeans and an old Pink Floyd shirt determined on getting something to eat after a long day spent with the girls. After sticking to a pretty good diet, she decided to treat herself with a greasy cheeseburger from the first place she drove by.

She pulled out of the underground area and onto ground level and began to drive down the dimly lit streets. They were staying near the arena that Monday Night Raw would be aired from, and Jade had been to Austin man times in her life, but she had never really explored this part of town before.

"Bingo." She said pulling into a Burger King after driving for a few minutes. She could feel her stomach growling as if on cue and she quickly parked and exited her vehicle.

She ran inside and ordered her food to go before making her way to her car with keys in hand. Sitting down inside and smelling the delicious aroma, Jade decided she couldn't wait to get back to the hotel. She had to devour this burger right now. Grabbing it out of the greasy paper bag, she took a bite and let her eyes roll back into her head. The workout she would put in tomorrow morning would be totally worth it because of this.

Halfway into her meal, Jade jumped in her seat when a strong knuckle rapped on her window. She glared through the glass, craning her neck up to see who the incredibly tall culprit was. Almost dropping her burger, she jerked back when he stooped down to her level, his face inches from hers through the window.

"Hey." Jon's voice was muffled through the closed door, and Jade gave him a look as she swallowed the mouthful of food in her mouth.

"Hi." She glanced around her looking for the button to roll down the window and finally did.

"Hungry?" He leaned in and nodded at her hands, and she sheepishly set the burger back in the wrapper on her lap.

"What are you doing here?" She asked wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"Hey, Jade!" Colby's familiar voice rang out behind him, although she wouldn't have guessed it was him with his hood up like that.

"Hey." She waved at him and returned her gaze to Jon who was still staring at her. "So, uh, you guys –"

"What are you doin' later? Besides inhaling that cheeseburger." He interrupted her. He ran a hand through his hair flashing his bright eyes at her as he leaned farther in her car taking a look around.

"Not sure. Sleeping?" She shrugged watching him glance through her vehicle.

"You're a funny guy. I get it." He nodded. It looked like he was trying to play it cool, and Jade couldn't help but smile as he cleared his throat like he was some kind of bad boy.

"What are _you_ doing later?" She finally indulged him.

"Oh, me? Nothin'." He said shrugged lightly. "Maybe you can come hang out. If dinner plans don't keep you, that is." He pointed down at the wrapper on her lap with a grin.

"Maybe." She tried to find something to look at besides him, the smell of his cologne wafting into her vehicle and catching her attention. He smelled so good.

Her phone was in the handle of the door, and Jon didn't hesitate when he noticed it sitting there. Snatching it into his hands, he held it out to her as she watched in disbelief.

"Unlock it." His voice was stern but gentle, and she furrowed her brow a bit.

"Why?"

"Just do it." He wiggled the phone in his hand again until she flicked the screen and entered her passcode. She really didn't know why she did it, but his charm was emphatic, and she couldn't help but feel a bit speechless when he was around.

He was finally satisfied, his fingers tapping furiously on her phone as she tried to peer at the screen. He leaned away and grinned before finishing and setting it back in the door.

"Text me." With that he pushed himself to his feet, Colby sticking his head out the door and yelling at Jon to hurry the fuck up and order so they could leave.

Jade smiled as he walked away. Something about this guy made her nervous and intrigued, a combination she had never really felt before. He was nothing like Finn, and for that she was thankful, but it had been a while since she had even thought about having feelings for anyone else.

"God." She groaned to herself as she rolled up her window and started the car. Colby waved at her as she drove by, Jon already inside the building at that point, and she exhaled deeply. A guy like Jon Good was dangerous. It was the last thing she needed while trying to focus on not fucking up on her new position in the company. But the ball was in her court, something she liked about his whole approach. She could text him if she wanted, and she reminded herself they were just coworkers. There was no harm in spending some time getting to know him and whoever else would be around.

And just like that, Jade had convinced herself it wasn't such a bad idea. It was Saturday, after all.

* * *

"Scott Hall." Jade repeated for the second time. Colby, John, and Paige all were listening intently to her story over a round of drinks, Colby making her repeat his name to make sure he heard her right.

"You had to forgive your dad after that." Colby laughed as Jade shrugged her shoulders. It was a funny story she loved to tell from way back in the day. She was ten years old, and her dad promised he would take her trick or treating that Halloween. When he couldn't show up, he sent Scott in his place, the guy actually doing a decent job taking her door to door.

"That's amazing. Who else has a story to tell like that?" Paige smirked taking a sip of her drink.

"Scott's kids." Colby laughed. "Maybe Shawn took them out that year."

Jade laughed and glanced over at Jon. He had been pretty quiet since they arrived at the pub a while earlier. She had texted him shortly after getting back to the hotel asking if Paige could come along, to which he responded the more the merrier.

"My parents were wrestlers, too, but you've never heard of the babysitters they had for me." Paige quipped as the waitress came by to drop off another round.

"Hey, you got any whiskey?" Jon asked suddenly earning a look from the girls.

"Sure do. Four?" The waitress asked.

"No!" Jade called out. "I have to function tomorrow."

"C'mon." Colby egged her on. Paige shrugged and Jade let out a sigh.

"Fine."

"Four of your finest whiskey." Jon held up four fingers as the waitress walked away, and he downed the last gulp of beer in his bottle before grabbing a fresh one. Jade had a feeling tonight would be one of those nights judging by how much they were all drinking. Thankfully they didn't have much to do tomorrow work-wise, and a hangover could be easily cured by Monday.

"So you guys okay hanging out? I mean, Jade is gunning for that belt, Paige." Colby poked earning a smile from the girl.

"I think we'll be fine." Paige laughed. Jade was trying to seem interested, but she could feel Jon boring a hole in the side of her head. She had caught him staring more than a few times since they arrived, his eyes tearing from hers whenever she did. Paige kept tapping Jade under the table when it was happening, although it wasn't as subtle as she liked to think it was.

"All I gotta say is you girls are both great champions, true ass kickers. The WWE needs that in their women's division." Colby leaned back in his seat and took a drink of beer. The waitress arrived and set the full shot glasses in the centre of the table, Jon sliding them towards everyone before she had a chance to.

"To doing what you love." Jon said raising his glass. Everyone smiled and raised theirs along with him before throwing it back. Jade first tapped the bottom of her glass on the table, the sound of Jon doing the same causing her to glance up at him, and she suppressed a grin as she swallowed the strong alcohol. It burned her lips and throat, and she tried not to gag too visibly, but Jon smiled back obviously amused by her.

"Let's get some food." Paige suggested standing to her feet. An old country song hummed in the background, and she danced for a moment before bursting out laughing and walking to the bar to order a plate of nachos. The booze was already hitting Jade, and she assumed it was doing the same for Paige.

Colby stood and followed her. There weren't many people in the pub, meaning there was no reason to not sit and wait for the waitress to come by and take their order, but something told Jade the two of them wanted to be alone for a bit. The tension between them could be cut with a knife sometimes. After tonight she would prod Paige and see what was going on, but for now she found herself alone with Jon.

"So what brought you to wrestling? I mean, besides your dad." He said leaning closer to her across the table.

"I've just always loved it." Jade admitted. "My dad had a lot to do with that, of course."

"Of course. But you want something else." He raised his eyebrows and waited for her to answer. Jade felt vulnerable, and she didn't really know why, but she also felt like Jon was the kind of guy she could talk to. Maybe he would become a friend to her over the years, and this was just his way of getting to know people, being overly flirtatious with them.

"I want to be Jade. Not Jade Michaels, just Jade. But for now, I'm okay with where I am." She smiled over at him and took a drink of her beer. The whiskey was hitting her now, along with the beer she had before this one.

"I'm okay with it too." He nodded leaning back in his chair. She couldn't help but think he was extremely sexy, his black t-shirt tight around his biceps that seemed accentuated in the dim bar lighting. His ripped jeans and combat boots completed the ultimate bad boy look, one that Jade found herself completely smitten by.

"Are you always this way?" She suddenly asked. It seemed like a fair question to her, but he frowned and leaned forward.

"Excuse me?

"Are you always this, I dunno, flirty? You seem pretty confident that you're hot shit." She leaned forward and crossed her arms mimicking him, her face close to his as she pouted her lips like he did in the ring. Jon laughed and leaned back not taking his eyes from hers.

"Only when I see somethin' I like." He grinned.

"You have no idea who I am." Jade shook her head lightly as he lifted his arm to rest on the back of Colby's empty chair.

"You're Jade Wood." He was so matter of fact, the determination on his face making Jade scoff out loud.

"So you learned how to use Google. Good for you." She chuckled taking another drink.

"Harsh." He couldn't stop smiling, something that seemed so foreign to someone like Jade who only ever saw his maniacal expressions on TV. Maybe the guy wasn't as loose a cannon as she thought. His promos back in the day for CZW, IPW, and other organizations when he was Jon Moxley were over the top, to say the least, and also degrading to women in some instances. It was a stark difference from the character he used to be.

"Tell you what. You keep bringing me out to places like this, and Colby and Paige can keep ditching us, and you can get to know me real well." She laughed.

"I'll just take you out myself. Colby's just a chatty fuck anyway." Jon took a drink and leaned forward again.

"He seems nice." Jade added.

"He's a great guy. Good friend. You seem to know Paige well." He glanced at the bar where the two of them were already eating the nachos and deep in conversation. "Would you look at that?"

Jade looked over her shoulder and watched them for a moment. It looked harmless, but they both knew there had to be something there. Their demeanour as soon as they reached the bar totally changed, and it was odd that the two of them would want to be alone.

"I think he likes her." She said with a shrug.

"Of course he does." Jon stared at her for a moment, the look on his face like he was about to say something else. Before he could, Colby and Paige got back to the table with a giant mound of nachos ending their privacy, and Jade tried to act like she wasn't disappointed.

 _ **Monday, February 28**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2016**_

It was only 9 at night, and Jade was already exhausted and ready for bed. Saturday hadn't gotten too crazy, and Paige and Jade made it back to their room by 1 in the morning to crash. Sunday was spent recuperating, and today had been a whirlwind since it began.

Her new target was Paige, but as with every new competitor, you had to work your way up the ranks in order to earn a title shot. At least in most cases you did. Paige dodged that bullet by becoming champ on her debut night, but that wasn't going to happen for Jade. Tonight she fought Naomi and won, and they were both pleased with how the match went off without a hitch.

"Tell me you'll come hang out with me tonight." Matt followed Jade down the arena hallway towards the back parking lot where her car was parked, and she smiled and shook her head.

"I dunno, Matt. I'm so tired." She sighed.

"We're all tired. We always are." He had a point, and Jade shrugged as she pushed the large metal door open into the warm Texan night air.

"What did you have in mind?" She asked taking her keys from the valet who rushed over to them.

"Grab something to eat, because I'm starving, and then maybe rent a movie in your hotel room?" He suggested. Jade unlocked her car as they approached it and threw her suitcase into the trunk.

"Fine. But we'll have to watch it in yours. Paige and I are rooming together, and I think she's gonna want some privacy tonight." She said quietly. Matt frowned at her as he opened the passenger door and sat down inside.

"Why?" He asked once she entered the vehicle and slammed the door behind her.

"Just because." She decided not to elaborate but knew he wouldn't let up.

"C'mon. What's going on? You two not getting along?" He glanced over at her.

"No. It's nothing like that." She sighed as she drove out of the parking lot and waved at the attendant.

"Then what's up?"

"It's not my place to say. Besides once one person knows it's like everyone in the whole damn roster does." She stopped at a red light and turned on the radio for some background noise.

"Your secret is safe with me." He sounded convincing, and of all people Jade knew she could trust him. He had never blabbed anything she had told him before.

"I think Colby and her have a thing. I dunno. I may be wrong, but we all went out on Saturday, and I got the vibe." She felt bad talking about it behind Paige's back, but it wasn't anything she hadn't said to her face already.

"The vibe?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." The light finally turned green and she stepped on the gas. "I asked her about it yesterday but she didn't have much to say about it. And I know they all made plans to hang out."

"Who's they? I know Victoria will be there." He said glancing out his window.

"Vicky, Paige, Colby, Joe, Jon." She paused at his name for a moment as she turned into their hotel underground parking and saw Matt shoot her a look from the corner of her eye.

"Jon's a piece of work." He scoffed and shook his head.

"You don't like him?" She prodded. He had never come up in conversation before, and she was curious what her friend thought of him.

"He seems a bit full of himself. I haven't spent much time with him, though." Matt said with a low voice. "I've noticed him staring at you an awful lot."

"What?" Jade scoffed as she parked the car. "He does not."

"Yesterday at the gym I saw him drop his weights when you walked in. Nothing makes that guy stop his workout." Matt chuckled.

"He's harmless." Jade shook her head. She knew Jon was in the gym at the same time that she was but didn't know he had noticed her. Her stomach fluttered as she thought of his smile and blue eyes.

"Just be careful." Matt said softly. She smiled over at him and nudged his elbow until he finally looked at her.

"You worry too much." She said popping her door open. "Now let's go get something to eat.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Wednesday, March 2**_ _ **nd**_ _ **, 2016**_

Jade had texted Jon in the morning asking if he had plans for the day. A few superstars were in Dallas making live appearances for the next two days and then travelling on to Corpus Christie for RAW on Monday, and the two of them were included. Jon didn't expect to hear from her, especially since Paige hadn't come along and Jade was riding solo. He noticed that she was a bit of an introvert in that way, but he could relate. It was overwhelming being new in the WWE.

When his phone buzzed, he couldn't help but smile. Something about the girl made him happy, not to mention she was drop dead gorgeous with a bad attitude. She was like a magnet that drew him in every time he was near, and the thought of her had been imprinted on his mind since bumping into her on her debut night.

"Beer." He nodded at the bartender. He had told her to meet him at a restaurant in town called Patty's, a place that he knew made a hell of a cheeseburger that Jade would love. He glanced at the clock over the bar noticing the time before taking a seat.

"Hey." Jade flashed him a smile, and he was nearly stunned when he turned and looked at her. She was wearing a black tank top that was cut short revealing her midriff and a pair of jean shorts. Her long, dark hair covered her bare shoulders, and her new white chucks popped out at him.

"Well, hello." He said nervously trying not to stare. She was fucking beautiful, but it wasn't the first time he had noticed that.

"You been here long?" She asked sitting down beside him.

"Just got here." He said as the bartender set down his drink. "Can we get a table?"

They followed the man to a booth at the back, the restaurant half full for the dinner rush, and he left them to peruse the menu. Jade glanced around her at the families and truckers dining nearby, a few of them glancing in their direction as they took their seats. This place was cozy and surprisingly nice for the area it was in, and she wondered why Jon would want to meet here.

"They have a killer cheeseburger." He grinned at her over his menu.

"My god. Will I ever live that down?" She laughed as she skimmed over the menu, her question answered of why they were there. She didn't have much of an appetite at the moment. Ever since mustering up the courage to text him, she had been a ball of nerves.

The waitress came and took their order. Jon asked her to bring them two burgers with fries, and she couldn't help but smile when he ordered for her. After she left, Jon leaned back in his seat and let out a sigh.

"You look great." Jon was nervous, to say the least, and it had everything to do with the stunning girl sitting across from him. He would have to be blind to not notice that half the restaurant was gawking at her.

"Thanks." Jade blushed a bit and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You been here before?"

"I have. Figured it would be a nice place for our first date." He grinned.

"Date?" Jade smiled. "This isn't a date."

"Hey, you texted me. I just picked the place." He took a sip of beer and winked at her, and Jade let out a laugh.

"Jon, you're a pretty bold guy. I can see how this whole thing would work on a girl, but it's not gonna work on me." She tried to look serious, but the grin on his face was making it hard.

"I don't expect it to. I guess I just act like an idiot when I'm nervous." He fidgeted in his seat a bit and glanced around the restaurant. Jade felt guilty for a moment for being so harsh with him and spoke up.

"I guess I just wasn't expecting this from anyone. I just got out of a relationship." Jade shrugged.

"Finn?" He asked. She nodded, and he couldn't help but scoff. "I don't know why you kicked that guy to the curb, but I'm fucking happy you did."

Jade felt her heart race. The way he grumbled those words was sweet in a weird way, and she felt herself wanting to draw him closer instead of push him away. As much as Finn broke her heart, she wasn't going to let him stop her from being happy. Obviously he had no problem moving on and finding someone new.

"You're sweet." She smiled at him.

"Me?" He glanced around dramatically. "I'm sweet? I dunno who you're talking to, lady, but it ain't me."

"You are!" She kicked him lightly under the table. He took another drink of beer, and Jade thought for a moment before continuing. "Okay. This can be our first date."

"Yeah?" He grinned.

"Just don't get ahead of yourself, tiger." She added. Her sense of humour made Jon smile. It was crude, like him, and he had to admit just the thought of getting his hands on her made him excited.

The waitress interrupted to bring them their meals, and Jade marvelled at the giant burger and mound of fries that poured over her plate.

"So you liking RAW so far?" Jon asked as he doused his French fries in ketchup.

"Yeah. Everyone seems nice." She shrugged. "My angle with Paige will be good, but there's something in the works that I'm not too thrilled about."

"What's that?" He glanced up at her as he took a bite of his greasy burger.

"I don't really know all the details, but I'll have to beat Charlotte to become number one contender." She explained. "With Ric in her corner every night, they've decided I should –"

"Bring in your dad. Makes sense." Jon said with a mouth full of food.

"I just don't know if I want that, you know? I mean, my dad retired when I was 19, 20 years old. That was only six years ago. He gets out of this business and says he wants nothing to do with it, lives his new life doing his outdoor shows and shit. But then I get here, and it seems his head is back in it again." Jade felt she could vent to him. Although it wasn't like her to gush about her dad and the shit going on between them, Jon made her feel safe. He didn't seem like the judging type.

"Maybe he just wants to see you." Jon treaded lightly. He knew it wasn't any of his business, but it seemed like the girl wanted some advice by the way she elaborated on everything.

"He does. I know he does." Jade shrugged again taking a bite of her burger.

"I never knew my dad." Dean said matter-of-factly.

"My mom was pretty much on her own until I got older." Jade glanced up at him as she wiped her mouth. "My dad didn't come back around until I was about seven. And even then I was lucky if I saw him two weeks out of the year."

"Then do it." Jon said nudging her arm across the table. "I think it's a great idea. Ric and Shawn always had great chemistry in the ring, and even as old guys they'll be able to hold their own." Jade smiled at him and was quiet for a moment as she thought of what to say. As much as she loved her dad and other people idolized them, it always stirred up bad memories when they spent time together, especially in a WWE environment.

"We'll see what happens. So tell me, do you miss the hardcore matches? WWE would never let you do the shit you used to do." Jade changed the subject.

"Fuck, no. I mean, at the time I loved it. It was fun, and we created these amazing stories behind all the blood, but I've paid my dues. I feel like at this point if I had to choose between a No Holds Barred match or a Fans Bring The Weapons match, I would go No Holds all the way." He let out a laugh.

"When you took a skill saw to the head. Genius." She smiled.

"Jesus Christ. Most girls find that shit disturbing. They hate it." He was more surprised than anything that she had seen that match as it was fought in a high school gymnasium over 10 years ago. Jon was falling more in love with her every minute.

"I mean, of course it's barbaric. It's shocking to watch. But you can see the passion there. At least I can."

Jade glanced up at him and flashed her dark eyes, the ones that drew Jon in every time. He knew they were both stuffing their faces with cheeseburgers which was not the most romantic setting, but something about the way she moved, talked, breathed, laughed made his head spin. They had only known each other for a few weeks, and this was the first time they had really hung out alone, but he knew it already. He knew this girl was different than any one he had met before.

"How long does it take for a girl like you to be mine?" He said out of nowhere, the grin on his face making Jade smile herself as she thought of an answer. She was taken aback by his brashness. It hadn't been that long since they had introduced themselves to each other, and his eagerness for her was something she had never encountered before. It was sexy.

"A while." Jade smirked. Jon made a face as if he was up for the challenge and leaned forward.

"I got time."

 _ **Saturday, March 5**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2016**_

Everyone was in Corpus Christie waiting for RAW on Monday night, and Paige had convinced Jade to come out with a bunch of them that were heading to a bar downtown. She didn't really want to go as she wasn't much of a bar person, but after much persuasion on Paige's part, she decided to go.

"Nick will be there, and Nicole and Vicky." Paige rambled in the back of the cab as Jade perused through her phone. "Ashley, Austin, E, I think Joe."

"Colby." Jade added noticing that Paige had left him out.

"And maybe Jon." Paige shot back. The two of them had much discussion about the men over the last week and had sworn to secrecy not to tell a soul how they felt, despite the fact that Jade had already blabbed the whole thing to Matt as well. News spread like wildfire in this business, but she knew of anyone the two of them could keep a secret.

"Here we are." The cabbie announced pulling up in front of a bustling nightclub. There was a huge line out front, and Jade popped open the door to take a better look.

"Thanks." Paige flashed the driver a smile and set a 10 dollar bill in his hands. "Have a good night."

"Are we really waiting in line?" Jade groaned as they exited. A few people standing out front recognized them and called out their names.

"Nope." Paige grinned. Just then Nick appeared behind the bouncer and pointed at them. The large man guarding the door nodded, and without so much as a word they entered the bar.

"Girls, how's it going?" Nick asked throwing an arm around each one and leading them into the noisy nightclub.

"Better now." Paige flirted and poked him in the ribs. "You got a table?"

"In the back. Go sit down. I'm waiting for Nicole and Vicky."

Jade and Paige left his arms and pushed their way through the sea of people towards where he pointed. The dance music was loud, everyone in the building dancing and drinking making it difficult to navigate through them.

"Paige!" Colby threw his arms up in the air from his seat in bottle service as soon as they got close enough for him to see. Paige ran to him and hugged him, his wobbly stance evidence that he was already drunk.

"Colby." Jade said with a smirk as he grabbed her for a hug too.

"Have a drink." He passed them each a glass and pointed to the table where a few bottles and mix were sitting. Jade smiled at everyone else that was lounging in their small area. Austin, E, Cody Rhodes, and his wife sat on couches while Joe and a few crew members were in deep discussion on another. A lot of people had turned out so far, but Jade's heart sunk a little seeing that Jon wasn't one of them.

"I wanna dance." Paige pouted at her once they had drinks in hand.

"I need a few more of these first." Jade nearly shouted over the pumping bass. This wasn't her taste in music, and it would take some alcohol for her to genuinely enjoy it.

"Let's go!" Colby grinned grabbing her hand and leading her out to the dance floor. Paige shot her a smile which Jade returned, and she watched her friends push their way towards the pounding speakers.

She eventually sat down and chatted with everyone for a bit. Cody was a nice guy, and his wife was beautiful and funny. Austin was as big of a nerd as he was when he was sober, and E just sat there and laughed whenever he made a dumb joke. Nick, Vicky, and Nicole arrived not long after and went to dance and hang out with other friends in the bar.

Jade was three drinks in before Paige and Colby returned, and Jade had almost forgotten they had ran off together in the first place. She stood to go talk to them when her head started to spin, and she realized she was pretty drunk after not moving and pounding back mojitos.

"You okay?" Paige asked as Jade stumbled up to her. She took a sip of her drink and threw an arm around Jade's shoulder.

"Yeah. I think I need some air." She confessed. She was starting to feel claustrophobic sitting in the roped off section, and the heat radiating from the sweaty dance floor was becoming unbearable.

"Okay. Want me to come with?" Paige was sincere, and Jade could tell. But the sight of Colby's fingers searching for hers as they stood surrounded by other people who didn't notice made her smile. It was cute, for fuck's sakes.

"Stay here. I'll only be gone for a few minutes." Jade nodded at her.

"Are you sure?" Paige shouted as Jade walked towards the packed crowd.

"I'm sure!" Jade wedged herself between two grinding couples and began to run the gamut towards the front door. It had gotten even busier since she arrived a few hours earlier, if that was even possible, and it took her a few minutes before she finally reached the exit.

"Jade Michaels!" A girl screamed at her as she walked by. She threw her arms around her neck and clung to her, the smell of alcohol wafting off her making Jade almost gag.

"Hey." Jade pulled her arms off her and continued to move on. "Have a good night!"

"You fucking rule." The girl gave her the devil horns and turned to explain to her girlfriends who Jade was. Not that she didn't love her fans, but she was drunk, tired, and feeling like she was about to pass out. The heat in the building was unbearable.

"I'll be back." Jade mumbled to the bouncer as she walked out. There were only a few people in line now, and she walked past them towards a bench a ways down the street away from the blasting music. She had to sit down for a minute and get her head to stop spinning.

She flopped onto the seat and pulled at her black dress that had ridden up over time. It felt good to get some fresh air, and her head was feeling better already being out of the packed building.

"You got a light?"

A tall man with blonde hair approached her, a smoke dangling from his lips as he spoke. His presence surprised her a bit, but she decided he was probably just out to get some air himself.

"I don't. Sorry." Jade responded crossing her legs.

The man shrugged and put the cigarette back into its pack and tucked it in the pocket of his dirty jeans. He stood and stared at her for a moment, and she glanced up at him wondering why he was still standing there.

"You look familiar." He said looking her up and down to which Jade scoffed.

"Yeah?" She asked brushing her hair out of her eyes. "I dunno."

"Yeah. You're a wrestler, aren't you? That guy's daughter. HBK." He smiled down at her, but she didn't see any happiness in his eyes. He looked cold, angry, like someone that loved to manipulate people and make them think he was a nice guy. She had met a few of those before in her life.

"I am. And you are?" She asked raising her eyebrow a bit.

"I'm someone who's been dying to meet you." He said quietly taking a few steps towards her. Jade uncrossed her legs and shifted in her seat. She could tell he had a few too many, his feet scuffing the sidewalk as he came closer.

"I'm going back inside now." She said suddenly standing up.

"You just got here." He came closer, the smell of stale smoke and alcohol on his breath making her cringe.

"Back off." Jade said sternly as she stepped to the side, but he stepped in front of her again and grinned like a Cheshire Cat.

"You look so nice when you're all dolled up." His eyes traced her face down to her chest, and she scowled. "That dress you're wearing is such a tease." In another second she was going to clobber this pig.

"Fuck you." Jade shoved past him, her shoulder hitting his, and before she had a chance to take another step, his hand gripped her wrist and yanked her towards him.

"You're not going anywhere." He growled digging his fingers into her. He gripped her arms tight trying to stop her from thrashing, but Jade had other plans.

" _Fuck off_ you pig!" She shouted kicking him between the legs. His grip loosened but didn't let go, and he slapped her across the face before wrapping his fingers around her biceps, this time trying to drag her away from the bench and towards the alley not far from them.

"I just wanna talk!" He groaned louder as he threw an arm around her neck and placed a hand over her mouth to muffle her scream. Jade could get out of his measly hold no problem, but the shock that someone was actually doing this to her left her stunned. A million thoughts ran through her mind as she deduced what he wanted from her, her brain finally focusing on defence after a few seconds of struggling.

Jade dropped to her knees, her bare legs smashing into the concrete as his jaw cracked into the top of her head. He let out a yelp as she struggled to stand again and face her attacker. Before she could throw a punch or kick him in the balls, she saw a welcome face over his shoulder, one that she couldn't be happier to see.

"You _motherfucker!"_ Jon screamed as he punched the man in the back of the head. He shoved him so hard the man stumbled into the alley he planned to drag Jade into and leaned against the wall. He opened his mouth to retort, but Jon punched him again square in the face and gripped the front of his shirt with both hands.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" He shouted.

"Man, I was –" the man babbled under Jon's grasp.

Jon didn't wait to hear an explanation and threw a hard blow into his stomach. He tossed the man to the ground and straddled him, his fists pounding into his face over and over before stopping to scream at him again.

"You don't _ever_ do something like that again. Do you understand me?" Jon shouted. "I should fucking _kill_ you."

"Jon!" Jade screamed grabbing his arm before he punched again. He tore away from her and threw a right hook, the man's nose clearly broken and bleeding profusely. The sight of something that should have pleased her made her stomach churn.

"Jesus Christ, Jon! That's enough!" Jade grabbed both arms this time and heaved him off the man, Jon finally caving and allowing her to separate them.

"I should fucking beat you until your teeth are gone, you fucker." Jon hissed at the man writhing on the ground in pain.

"I'm sorry!" The man sputtered as he ran his hands over his face not daring to look up at either of them.

"Let's go." Jade pulled Jon's arm to lead him away, but he wouldn't budge. He stood there staring down at the man with wide eyes, his chest heaving as he debated whether to pummel him some more.

"What the fuck is going on here?" The large bouncer from the bar emerged around the corner, and the young couple that had been waiting in line stood behind him staring down at the bloody man at Jon's feet.

"Are you okay?" The girl asked Jade.

"Amy, get over here." Her boyfriend tugged on her hand reluctantly, his eyes fixed on Jon whose gaze hadn't left his victim.

"This guy thinks it's okay to grab women, haul them into a dark alley to do god knows what." Jon spit on the ground and leaned his face down beside the man. "I think he learned his fucking lesson."

"Let's go, Jon." Jade pulled at his arm and walked with a purpose away from the entire scene. The bouncer didn't stop them, instead giving the guy a few choice words of his own and going back to his post. The young couple had left before Jade could even notice they were gone.

"Get in the car." Jon's voice was low, his hand gripping hers and leading her towards his parked vehicle on the other side of the street. Jade didn't have the mindset to argue with him. She wasn't drunk anymore, the encounter sobering her instantly, and she quickened her pace to keep up with him.

"Jade, what the fuck?" Paige called out to her emerging from the noisy bar. "Where are you going?"

"We're leaving." Jon shouted at her over his shoulder. He dug his keys out of his pocket and had the doors unlocked before they reached them.

"Jade!" Paige called out to her again. She finally looked over at her, tears stinging her eyes, and held up a hand to wave.

"I'll see you at the hotel, okay? Just go have fun." Jade tried not to let her voice quiver, but she knew it wasn't convincing. She was in shock, her knees aching in pain from slamming into the sidewalk and her lip stinging every time she spoke.

Jon opened the passenger door and waited for her to get in. He was shaking, his blood pumping through his veins harder than he could ever remember as he watched her sit down. Slamming the door shut, he locked the doors behind him and returned to the alleyway to beat the living shit out of the guy again.

"Jon!" Jade shouted after him, her voice muffled in the vehicle. She wanted to chase after him, but she was in shock. She was afraid of what he was doing to that man, the fear of seeing it keeping her from opening the door and marching back over there. As her head spun, Jade leaned back and waited for him to return as the horrible moment replayed over in her head.

A few minutes later his door opened, Jon panting for breath as he slammed it shut and stared into the steering wheel. Jade sat waiting for him to say something and winced looking at his hands. His fists were covered in blood, his hair sticking to his sweaty face as he continued to avoid her gaze and regain his composure.

"Jon." She said simply. He didn't respond, instead sticking the keys in the ignition and quickly pulling away from the curb. Jade sat back in her seat and put her hands over her face. Her heart was racing a mile a minute after what just happened, and the pain in her knees was starting to come through. It was still so surreal to her, and she hoped at any moment she would wake from this awful nightmare and realize it was all a dream.

Jon sped down the road for a few minutes before getting to a residential area. He pulled into a parking lot for a nearby playground and slammed the car into park.

"Look at me." He said turning to her. Jade obliged, her eyes brimming with tears when she saw his reaction. "Jesus fucking Christ." He placed a hand on her chin and brushed his thumb over her busted lip.

"I'm fine." Her voice cracked as she pulled away from him. She was suddenly self-conscience and more so embarrassed that the entire situation had happened at all than anything. There was no way she was going to let herself cry in front of Jon.

"You're not fine. I saw the whole thing." He sounded so angry, but his voice was calm and caused her to look back over at him. "I wish I could fucking kill that guy."

"So you didn't?" She asked.

"I nearly did if it wasn't for E and Austin." He shook his head. He flexed his hands, both knuckles red and swollen from punching the man so hard. He couldn't tell if it was his blood or that bastard's that stained his skin.

"They saw?" Jade started to cry now. Everyone was going to hear about this, and by tomorrow it would be a huge fucking deal.

"Listen to me." Jon said leaning close to her over the centre console. "You did nothing wrong. You could have stopped him, but I was there. And I couldn't watch that shit happen, not to you." He looked so sincere which was something he wasn't to many people, and his vulnerability showed when he suddenly couldn't look her in the eye.

"Okay." Jade finally responded at a loss for words.

"Do your knees hurt?" He asked glancing down.

"Yeah." She rubbed at one, the bruises already forming on her kneecaps. "Motherfucker."

Jon exhaled as he tried to reign in his emotions. Watching that piece of shit try to manhandle her made him see red, and just the thought of it made him want to drive back to the bar and give him another beating of his life. But instead of that, he was here with her. He leaned towards her again and wiped the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

Without saying another word, he leaned forward and kissed her. Her eyes closed as his soft lips pressed against hers, his tenderness surprising her. It wasn't for long, and she felt herself lurch forward after he pulled away to brush a strand of hair from her face. She glanced down at his mouth where her blood left a stain and felt tears stinging her eyes again.

"Let's get you to the hotel." He said quietly. Jade nodded. She couldn't argue with him. She needed to clean up and more importantly ice her knees, and she had a feeling Jon would be helping her with that.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hey, guys! Hope you are enjoying it so far. I like to take things slow as you can tell with Jade and Jon, but I hope it's all worth the wait. :)**_

 _ **Sunday, March 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2016**_

Jade's eyes fluttered open to focus on the wall of her hotel room. She laid there for a moment piecing together the nightmare from last night. It wasn't a dream, though, and she winced when she tried to move her legs to a more comfortable position. It was all too real. Her knees were killing her, but otherwise nothing else seemed to hurt.

"Morning."

Jon's voice almost made her jump out of bed. She sat up and looked at him clutching the blankets over her. He was sitting in a chair he had dragged to sit in front of the TV. The volume was so quiet she could barely hear it, and he was still wearing the same black t-shirt and jeans from the night before.

"Hey." Jade said quietly. She desperately tried to smooth her hair down that was no doubt unruly and wiped the sleep from her eyes.

Jon had brought her to her hotel room last night and gotten her ice, but she was out like a light after crawling into bed. Jade expected him to take off after she fell asleep, but he didn't.

"I hope I didn't wake you." He said glancing back at the TV while she primped.

"You didn't." Jade shook her head. "Did you get any sleep?"

"A bit." He shrugged glancing back at her. Even first thing in the morning he thought she was beautiful. And she was so caring. Rage burned inside him thinking of why someone would want to hurt her.

"I can't believe you stayed." She smiled lightly at him, the expression quickly replaced with a grimace as she pulled her knees out from under the covers. They were bruised, a small one on each shin as well, but they didn't look as bad as they felt.

"Jesus." Jon shook his head. He couldn't help but stare at her legs, but his eyes soon drifted up to her arms where bruises had formed overnight. "Jesus fucking Christ. Jade, how could –" He couldn't finish his sentence, and he couldn't bring himself to look back at her either.

"What?" Jade looked down at her biceps and ran her fingers over them. The bruises were shaped like the asshole's fingers, his grip on her leaving a hideous mark.

"I'm gonna kill him." Jon's voice cracked looking back at her again. "I'm gonna find that guy and fucking kill him."

"Hey." Jade said sternly, his eyes jerking up to hers. "You nearly did last night. Please don't do this." She swallowed the lump that had formed her in throat. "This entire situation got out of hand. Everyone is going to be talking about it, and I'm sure the bosses aren't going to be happy about it."

"They'll be fucking happy you're okay, that that creep didn't get away with what he did." Jon frowned. He was getting that glaze over his eyes that he usually got when he was pissed off, a look she unfortunately had seen before.

"I know. It's just – I don't want to be a big deal. Okay?" She stared into his eyes and waited for him to answer.

"Okay." He finally retorted. "But that shit –" He nodded down at her wounds. "That shit isn't ever happening again. Ever."

"I know." Jade nodded.

"Because I won't let it happen." His voice was emphatic, and Jade could see he meant it. It didn't take long for Jade to feel the butterflies in her stomach looking into his blue eyes. After their short kiss last night, she found herself wanting more, and the way he looked at her told her he wanted it too.

"Come snuggle me." Jade moved over and patted the bed beside her. Jon didn't move right away, his hesitancy making her smile, but then stood and sauntered slowly towards her.

"I don't snuggle." He said convincingly as he sat down on the bed slid under the covers. His heart pounded as he lifted his arm to rest on her pillow.

"You already are." Jade laid her head on the crook of his shoulder and rested a hand on his strong chest. She could feel his heartbeat through his shirt, her own racing as he laid a hand on her arm and pulled her close.

"Thank you." She said quietly. Jon didn't answer, his embrace around her enough of a response, and he pulled her in to kiss her again. This time it wasn't short.

He held her close, both arms encircling her as he rolled to his side. Jade felt the butterflies eating a hole through her stomach as his hands rested on the small of her back, and she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer.

"You taste so good." He said between kisses. Jade felt her heart flutter when his hand slid down and pulled her leg up to rest on his hip. She winced when her knee bent and tried not to let it show as he kissed her, but he noticed and loosened his grip on her.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled into her mouth. Jade pulled away for a moment and straightened her leg out to a more comfortable position.

"Don't be sorry. Just kiss me." She pulled him close again and tried to continue where they left off, but Jon took her hand from around his neck and held it in his own.

"You should get to Craig." He was the head medical attendant on the road with them and would have a multitude of medical supplies that could help her throbbing legs. As much as he was enjoying this moment, he knew her injuries were more important that his libido. Yet it was taking every ounce of strength in him to not ravage her right there. His pants throbbed under his stiff jeans, and his lips continued to peck hers in an effort to get one last taste before she could agree and get out of bed.

"He's gonna ask questions." Jade said quietly before sliding her tongue into Jon's mouth. A passionate kiss would shut him up. His eyes rolled back into his head as she sucked lightly on his bottom lip, and he cupped her perfect ass in his hand when she let go.

"You are making it so hard to be a good guy." He groaned. Jade smiled when she saw the desperation in his eyes and kissed him once more, her lips pressed against his as she spoke.

"We both know you're not a good guy, Jon."

* * *

"He nearly _killed_ him, Jade." Paige shook her head as she spoke. "And now I know why." Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at Jade's arms and the bags of ice taped to her knees.

"I can't believe you guys saw it." Jade held her face in her hands. She was sitting in the medical office of the arena where they were airing RAW tomorrow night, and Craig had done what he could for her without asking too many questions. Apparently word had already spread throughout the crew and talent of what had happened, thanks to the crowd of people that came outside when Jon went back for round two.

"Everyone saw it. Colby, Victoria, Mike, Joe, Nick. Austin and E pulled Jon off the guy before he –" Paige cringed as the scene replayed in her mind and reached out to rest a hand on Jade's knee. "I should have come out with you. If I did I could have –"

"Don't even start with that shit." Jade looked up at her. "There's no way you could have known this would happen."

"I was fucking hanging out with Colby while you were being attacked." Paige looked paler than usual, and her eyes were wet with tears as she spoke.

"And that's where I wanted you to be. I'm not angry with you for having a good time." Jade said sincerely before letting her face fall into her hands again. "Jon is getting dragged into this. The bosses are gonna freak. My _dad_ is gonna freak. I've already gotten texts from three people wanting to know what happened."

"Hey, Jade. Listen to me." Paige consoled her. "You got away from the guy, and Jon kicked his ass, plain and simple. You know you're not in any trouble for any of this. At all. So don't worry. Okay?" Paige's soft voice made Jade force a smile, the effort of her friend making her feel better despite the circumstances.

"I know." Jade nodded. More than anything, she just didn't want the attention that came with this kind of situation.

"Jon really cares about you. At least that's what it seems like." Paige treaded lightly. Jade gave her a look, and the champion continued. "I just want you to know you can talk to me about it, Jade. I know now's not the time, but some time. Okay?"

"Yeah. Take me back to the hotel." Jade nodded towards the door. She went to stand off the table she was sitting on when her phone buzzed loudly beside her. Glancing down, she cringed when she saw the text and leaned back into her seat.

"Scratch that. Paul's on his way here."

* * *

"Are you _fucking kidding me?"_ Paul shouted. He nearly fell over when he saw Jade's arms dotted in bruises and her black and blue knees that Craig was rubbing pain salve over.

"Paul, it's –"

"Who did this? Did you call the police? How did this happen?" The barrage of questions and him grabbing her arms to inspect made her clam up. He was always protective of her, and save her dad and now Jon, he was the next person in line to overreact when something like this happened.

"Stop!" She cried pulling away from him when he grabbed her chin and turned her head from side to side looking for anything more.

"Jade, this is fucking serious. Did you call the police?" He repeated. His brow was furrowed so deep she could barely see his eyes underneath his bulging forehead, and his t-shirt and jeans made it obvious he had rushed here as soon as he heard the news.

"No. I didn't call the police." She finally spat out.

"Why the fuck not?" He shouted. Craig finally finished and got the hell out of dodge leaving Paul more room to freak out.

"Jon was there. And in case you haven't heard, he beat the living shit out of the guy once I got him off me." Jade was sure to accentuate the part where she got the creep off.

"Jon? Jon Good?" Paul asked to which she nodded. "That isn't the police."

"I really don't want this to be a big deal." Jade shook her head as she rolled her capris back down to hide the bruises.

"It is a _big_ fucking deal. When your dad hears about this, he is –"

"He is _not_ going to hear about it. At least not from you." Jade took a deep breath before continuing. "I was attacked. Yes. I was outside getting some air at a bar where _everybody_ was hanging out, and some asshole thought he could manhandle me. I gave him a Stunner, or at least my version of it, and then Jon came out of nowhere and beat the living shit out of him." Jade was so matter of fact about it. At this point, the only thing she could do was be honest about everything, and she knew Paul wouldn't settle for anything less than the truth. "I think the guy learned his lesson. And if you don't believe me, ask Colby, Paige, or Austin and E."

Paul exhaled loudly and took a few steps away from her. His eyes grazed over her arms and back to her face. She knew he had always looked at her as a daughter, or maybe a niece, and it must have killed him to see her like this. But she was grown up now, and she could take care of herself. The last thing she needed was for her RAW performance to be overshadowed by some stupid idiot outside a bar.

"You take tomorrow off." Paul said holding a hand up to stop her from objecting. "You take tomorrow off and that's final. We'll see how you feel for Tuesday." Jade groaned out loud and hopped down from the table.

"Fine."

"And I'm talking to Jon." Paul ran a hand over his short hair.

"Why? Leave Jon out of this." Jade pleaded with him.

"Hey. He was there, and he helped you. I want to thank him." Paul reached out and set a hand on her shoulder. "It could have been much worse."

"I can protect myself." Jade said defensively.

"I know. It's just—" Paul trailed off and exhaled deeply. "You're like a daughter to me. Knowing this happened to you, it's hard. I'm just happy you're okay."

He hugged her, tears stinging Jade's eyes for a moment before she willed them away. She always looked up to Paul, and to know he was only concerned about her safety regardless of anything else warmed her heart.

"Steph is pissed." Paul said with his chin on her head.

"God." Jade sighed. They pulled apart, and Paul knocked her on the cheek lightly with his fist like he had since she was a little girl, something that made Jade roll her eyes a bit.

"Let's get you back to the hotel."

* * *

" _Jade, I heard what happened. What the fuck is going on? Are you okay?"_

" _I'm fine, dad. It was just –"_

" _It doesn't sound like you're fine. Stephanie called me in a fit ten minutes ago."_

" _I wanted to tell you so you wouldn't freak out."_

" _Freak out? Some asswipe puts his hands on my daughter, and you think I'm not gonna freak out?"_

" _Calm down. Everything is okay. My friend was with me and – well he beat the guy up pretty good for it."_

" _That doesn't make me feel better. Did you call the police?"_

" _No. We got outta there pretty quickly."_

" _Who was with you?"_

" _I was alone. Jon saw it happen. Jon Good."_

 _Dad?"_

" _I'm glad someone was there to help. Have you talked to your mom yet?"_

" _I'll call her after we get off the phone. She's gonna flip."_

" _Of course she is. I'm gonna book a flight and catch you in Detroit."_

" _Dad, you don't have to do that."_

" _I want to. I need to see you and know you're okay. Go call your mom. I'll see you in a few days."_

" _I love you, dad."_

" _I love you too, darlin.' Text me later tonight."_

 _ **Wednesday, March 9**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2016**_

Paul wouldn't let Jade compete on Tuesday despite the fact she was feeling fine. No amount of pleading could change his mind, and now that Stephanie had flown out to Detroit where Smackdown was taped, she had both of them breathing down her neck about the whole situation. They wanted her to file a police report, but she refused. After seeing the bloody pulp Jon left the guy in, she had a feeling he would change his mind about assaulting women in the future. At least she hoped.

"When does your dad get in?" Matt asked from his corner of the couch. They were sitting in her hotel room watching TV, and Jade's heart skipped a beat thinking of what was to come.

"He's on his way here now." Jade sighed.

"Good." Matt was furious that he didn't go out that night and had heard all about it by the next morning. "He's gonna flip."

"Thank god the bruises are gone." Jade glanced down at her arms that were now back to their original colour.

"If I was there when that happened –" Matt trailed off.

"I handled it." Jade scoffed.

"Jon handled it. What's going on with you two anyway?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing. I mean, I don't know. I don't think anything." Jade lied. She didn't want to be in a relationship right now despite her strong feelings for Jon, and he had been busy since their make out session in her hotel room on Sunday morning. She missed him.

"That's not what Paige said." Matt smirked at her earning a kick in the foot.

"Paige is fucking Colby, so like she's one to talk." Jade rolled her eyes. This wasn't news to him, and he chuckled out loud at her diversion.

Just then there was a knock on her door. Jade's eyes flew open as the realization that it was her dad came over her, and Matt quickly stood to his feet in anticipation of him coming in.

"Here we go." Jade sighed as she walked to the door. She opened it wide, and there he stood.

"Jade." Shawn gasped as he reached out to grab her. His hug squeezed all the air out of her lungs, and she coughed when he finally let go.

"Hey, dad." She said with a low voice.

"I've missed you so much. I can't believe this happened." He had tears in his eyes. Jade was taken aback by this, her dad never really being an emotional guy, and she felt and her throat catch when she spoke.

"Come in. You know Matt." Jade nodded at her friend that was anxious to leave.

"Mr. Michaels." Matt addressed him confidently and held out his hand.

"Shawn." He replied shaking it. "Good to see you again, kid."

"Definitely. Have a good day, guys." Matt smiled at them both and left the hotel room to give them some privacy. Jade grinned back and watched as the door shut behind him leaving an awkward silence between her and her father.

"How was your flight?" Jade asked sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"Good. So when do I get to meet Jon?"


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hey, everyone! Thanks for the kind words from those of you that left a review. I write cheesy, mushy fanfics for people like myself, and I'm so happy to see there are others out there like me who are enjoying it :D**_

 _ **Also I will EVENTUALLY be adding a lemon chapter about Jon and Jade, but that may be published as a stand-alone story. Just so you know. Enjoy, you guys! I like this chapter, but I'm even more excited for the chapter that is coming after it. Ah! Can't get ahead of myself! :)**_

 _ **Friday, March 11**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2016**_

Paul insisted that Jade take a few days to herself to spend with her father. It was fun for the first little while, but she soon found herself anxious to get back in the ring. Working out and doing basic in-ring skills wasn't enough for her. It had been over a week since she had felt the roar of the crowd, and her injuries from the bar incident had long healed. It wasn't her decision to sit on the sidelines, but she didn't have a choice in the matter when the boss was pretty much her uncle. He cared more about her emotional well-being than carrying on a storyline.

Shawn was spending the afternoon with Hunter and Stephanie. It had been years since they had hung out, and Jade was more than thankful for the time to herself. She was sitting in a coffee shop down the road from her hotel reading the news on her phone when a text popped up.

 _What's up? You busy today?_

It was Jon. Jade felt her heart race as she thought about him. They still hadn't seen each other since Sunday morning. Paul giving her time off meant she was nowhere near him most of the time, but she knew he was probably already in Boston in preparation for RAW this upcoming Monday.

 _My dad is still around. He's out with Paul and Steph. I'm at a coffee shop. Cracked Bean. You?_

Jade quickly wrote him back. She didn't know why she told him the name of the place. It's not like he would be walking by and just stroll in.

 _I'll be there._

His simple words made her smile. She couldn't deny that she was excited to see him. If she had known Jon was going to come by, she would have chosen a better outfit than capris and an old Sting t-shirt. Her only hope was that her dad would stay away long enough for her to actually spend time with him. His incessant nagging to meet the guy was driving her crazy, and she knew it would happen soon enough.

Ten minutes passed before Jon got there. He pushed the glass doors open and waltzed in, his hand running through his hair as he glanced around the café for her. He was wearing a long-sleeve black shirt and his trademark jeans. His sneakers were old and scuffed, and they strode across the tile floor after he laid eyes on her.

"Hey." He smiled towering over her.

"Hey." Jade returned his expression and sat up straight in her oversized armchair. "How's it going?"

"Good." Jon sat across from her and leaned forward in his seat, his eyes grazing over her for a moment before continuing. "You look better than the last time I saw you. I mean –" He nodded at her arms and gave her a meek smile.

Jade leaned forward in her seat and placed a hand on either side of his face. She kissed him, the small peck lingering on his lips when she pulled away.

"I missed you." Jade shrugged lightly as she leaned back. Jon's smile made her heart race, his eyes twinkling as they stared over at her.

"I missed you too. I'm glad Paul gave you some time off, though." He said sincerely.

"I'm not." Jade laughed. "The best therapy in the world for me is being in that ring."

Jon nodded and glanced around the café that was full of bustling people heading in and out. She couldn't help but notice he looked a bit nervous.

"Did Paul talk to you?" Jade winced. She knew it had to have happened already and wasn't looking forward to the backlash.

"He did." Jon nodded again. He grinned up at her when she grew impatient waiting for him to continue, and he grabbed the giant mug of coffee that sat on the table beside Jade.

"And?" She prodded with a scowl.

"He thanked me for helping you. Wasn't a fan of what I did to the guy, but he said he would let it slide." He took a sip and gagged. "Jesus. Is there any sugar in this?" He set it back down with a sour look.

"That's it?" Jade asked ignoring his question.

"And a few other things. It's all good." He licked his lips in an effort to get the bitter taste out of his mouth before leaning back in his seat. She didn't need to know everything about their conversation, or at least not yet. Paul was an intimidating guy, and bringing Jade into the mix made it all the more terrifying for him. Jon wasn't easily swayed, though, and his feelings for her had only grown since he saw her on Sunday.

"My dad wants to meet you." Jade sighed. "He won't shut up about it."

"I'm cool with that. Always wanted to meet the Heartbreak Kid." Jon grinned at her.

"Jon –"

"I'm kidding." He interrupted. "Does he know about –" He trailed off and motioned his hand between the two of them.

"About what?" Jade made a face. She truly didn't know what they even were, and to hear his side of it was going to be interesting.

"You know. That maybe I'm a little bit crazy for you." He said with his usual attitude. Jade smiled at him and was quiet for a moment. Something about Jon made her crazy too.

"I think whatever this is," she mimicked his motion between them, "can stay between us for now. I don't even know what we are."

"I don't either, but I'll take it." He said with a grin. Jade smiled back, his demeanour making her heart race. He was persistent, and she liked that about him.

 _ **Monday, March 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2016**_

"Everybody knows that I should be the number one contender to that pathetic champion, Paige." Charlotte hissed into her mic as the crowd booed her. Ric had a huge grin on his face as he listened to her speak with adoration. "If it wasn't for one person, I would already be fighting Paige at Wrestlemania, and I would be leaving as champ."

The crowd chanted Jade's name in response, and Charlotte scowled into the sea of faces. Shaking her head, she waited for a moment for the noise to subside and paced back and forth in the ring.

"Jade Michaels." She said with distain as the crowd popped. "Jade Michaels thinks she can walk in here and challenge my place in line. She thinks that just because she was NXT Women's Champion that she should have a title shot. Well, I was once NXT Champion too." Charlotte growled.

Her father patted her on the shoulder beaming with pride, and Charlotte flashed him the same grin he wore.

"I will be fighting Jade next week on RAW to become the number one contender, and I will win. Just like my father used to beat Shawn Monday night after Monday night." Charlotte gushed to Ric who didn't look too humble. He shrugged and smiled, the crowd booing as he lifted a hand in thanks.

"You see, sometimes the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and other times, the apple never really falls at all." Charlotte returned her icey stare to the camera that focussed on her face. "It's really a shame."

Jade's music suddenly hit, and the crowd stood to their feet as she came to stand on top of the stage. It was her first appearance on WWE in weeks, and the fans had been anxiously awaiting her return. She lifted her arms in the air and pointed to the crowd that chanted her name. The rush of coming through those curtains was what got her out of bed every morning, and the adrenaline pumping through her veins made her feel like she was invincible. It took a moment for her to regain her composure, and she eventually turned her attention to the ring.

"Hold on a second." Jade spoke into her mic as her music cut. "Did you really just say that Ric used to beat Shawn Monday after Monday? Did that really just come out of your mouth?"

Charlotte stood with her arms crossed, a look of annoyance on her face as Ric nodded emphatically behind her.

"I mean, sure, they fought each other a lot over the years. The Nature Boy knocked HBK around a bit and maybe pinned him a few times." Jade admitted earning a twisted smile from both Charlotte and Ric. "But your career ended because of my dad, Ric. Remember that?" Jade's eyes stared straight into his as she slowly walked down the ramp towards the ring.

"Oh, whatever." Charlotte said off-mic rolling her eyes. Ric looked suddenly sincere, his smile turning to a sneer as he watched Jade approach them. She jumped up onto the apron and continued to talk from outside the ropes.

"Ric Flair versus Shawn Michaels. The Nature Boy versus The Heartbreak Kid. Loser has to _retire._ " Jade leaned forward over the top rope still focussed on Ric. "One, two, three, and it was over. But no. You're right. Beating him a few times before that means so much more."

"What do you want, Jade?" Charlotte hissed at her from the middle of the ring.

"You know I can beat you, Charlotte. And you know that next Monday I will." Jade glared at her finally stepping through the ropes and into the ring.

"Keep dreamin', kid. Even your dad knows you aren't the same caliber as he is." Ric suddenly piped up grabbing the microphone from Charlotte's hands.

"Oh, really?" Jade indulged him with a grin.

"I know that Charlotte is the best, and she also happened to learn from the best. It's just too bad that Shawn doesn't feel that way about you. Otherwise, why hasn't he been in a WWE ring with you since your debut in NXT?" Ric's voice was raspy, and the malice in it made the hair on the back of Jade's neck stand up. The crowd murmured as he handed the mic back to his daughter with a shit-eating grin.

"I think he's embarrassed. I would be." Charlotte laughed with her father as the crowd began to boo. Jade looked around at her fans before responding.

"Charlotte, I don't like to play these little games that you always insist on playing, but sometimes you have to fight fire with fire." Jade scowled at her earning a confused look. "If you want to hide behind your daddy, that's fine. Two can play that game."

Charlotte and Ric were mortified when Shawn's music pierced the air. The whole crowd was on their feet, Jade keeping her eyes trained on Charlotte as her father emerged at the top of the stage. The building erupted as he kneeled down, his signature entrance still as iconic as ever as pyro exploded behind him. Charlotte was pacing back and forth in the ring as her father blew a gasket. The two men had a history, and now it would be hashed out between their daughters.

Shawn finally made it to the ring and stood proudly beside his daughter as the building shouted his name. His arm wrapped around her shoulder and he whispered something only she could hear into her ear before taking the microphone from her hands.

"Here we go, darlin'."

 _ **Thursday, March 17**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2016**_

Jade was watching TV on her couch back in her apartment in Orlando instead of carrying on with the rest of the roster. There was a series of live events and appearances along the way to Boston where RAW was airing on Monday night, but Paul suggested she take a few days off to reset back at home. A few workouts with Sara at the Performance Centre would also be helpful.

Her dad had gone back to Texas for a few days, and his incessant nagging about meeting Jon finally ended when she introduced them at Smackdown on Tuesday. It went better than she expected it to with Jon keeping his lips sealed about their so-called "relationship" and her dad not demanding to know every single detail of the night outside the bar.

She scarfed down the scrambled eggs and fruit smoothie she made for breakfast and was standing to throw her plate in the dishwasher when her phone rang from the couch beside her. It was 8 in the morning, and it wasn't usual for anyone to call her this early unless it was work-related. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was Jon, and she let it ring a few times before answering casually.

"Hello?"

"Hey. How's it going?" His voice was perky for it being so early.

"Good. How are you?" Jade smiled and sat back down, her dirty plate going ignored on the coffee table.

"Good. You back home?" He asked.

"Yeah. Got in late last night. Where are you?"

"I'm home too." He sounded pleased with her answer. "What are you doin' tonight?"

"Tonight?" Jade thought about how she was going to head to the Center tonight for a while, but it could be pushed to earlier in the day. "Nothing. What about you?"

"Hopefully taking you out on a date." He cooed to her over the phone. Jade laughed and thought for a second before answering.

"Where you gonna take me?" She asked.

"Dinner." He said with confidence. "I'll pick you up at 6."

"Do you even live anywhere near here?" She knew he lived in Florida, but she was in downtown Orlando, and he could be anywhere.

"I'm about ten minutes from you. Just need the apartment number." He replied.

"How do you know where I live?" Jade felt her heart still fluttering talking to him, but it was strange that he already knew since he had never been over to her place.

"I have my ways." Jon admitted. "Paige told me."

"Paige?" Jade blurted out. "Why were you –"

"Just don't worry about it. I'll be there at 6, alright?" His charisma was oozing through her phone, and Jade gave in and decided she would prod him about it later.

"Okay. See you then." She heard him hang up, and she set her phone down beside her staring mindlessly into the television in front of her. Was she really ready for this?

* * *

Jon had picked Jade up at 6 on the dot. She had been nervous all day after he called her, and the sight of his black car pulling into her parking lot made the knot in her stomach tighten. She didn't know how to dress, settling on a pair of jeans, a red low-cut shirt, and black pumps. Something told her he wouldn't be taking her to a fancy restaurant as it didn't seem to be his style.

Sure enough they ate at a family-owned Italian restaurant right downtown, and the entire meal they didn't stop talking. Everything from Jon's career before WWE to Jade's relationship with her father became discussion, and soon they had moved on from wrestling to just who they were. Jade learned his favourite show was Sons of Anarchy and Jon learned she had played piano since she was a child. It surprised her how open he was with her about his childhood and his old friends back in Cincinnati. He had been smiling for most of the night, his lighthearted attitude a stark difference from the mad man she saw beat the shit out of that creep at the bar. It made it harder to not fall for him.

"What do you wanna do tonight?" Jon asked after the waitress dropped off the bill.

"What did you have in mind?" Jade smiled and took the last sip of her wine.

"Cal's?" He said with a grin. His expression made Jade melt inside. He could have suggested almost anything and she would have agreed.

"Let's do it." She nodded. He stood from the table and held out his hand to her, and they walked to the front to pay their bill and leave.

Jon threw an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close to him as they walked out of the building and down the street. Jade leaned into him and breathed in the warm night air. Cal's was a sports bar that a lot of the wrestlers who lived here frequented, and she had spent many a night drinking beers with her friends there. She was looking forward to being somewhere familiar again.

"So mind if I ask you something personal?" Jon asked after a few moments of silence.

"Sure." She shrugged wondering what he was going to say.

"Why did you and Finn break up?"

Jade was quiet as she thought of how to answer that. It seemed like a harmless question, but her past with him was something that was still hard to talk about.

"He decided he needed to focus on his championship run. We were living together at the time." She shook her head lightly. "It was mutual at first but then he kept coming back, leaving, then coming back and leaving again."

"Hmm." Jon mumbled adjusting his arm around her neck.

"He's moved on now, got a new girlfriend and doing his thing here. I'm busy with my own life." Jade lifted her hand to hold his that dangled over her shoulder. He was much taller than her, and his strong arm around her made her feel even shorter.

"Yes, you do." Jon grinned as they rounded the corner. Cal's was right there with several people out front smoking cigarettes and talking. It was busy for a Thursday night.

"Think anyone's here?" Jade asked as he held the door open for her.

"You would know more of them than I would." He shrugged as she walked in. It was dark inside, the classic rock music not incredibly loud as a college basketball game played on every television in the bar. A few locals sat at the counter and surrounded the pool tables in the back, but in the middle of the bar she saw him.

Finn was with his new girlfriend and a handful of others from NXT. Jason Jordan, Chad Gable, and Alexa Bliss were with them, most of them turning and staring surprised to see Jade and Jon walk into the bar. Jade returned their waves, everyone except for Finn and the broad sitting with him.

"Look at that." Jon's voice dripped with sarcasm as they walked towards the bar to get a drink.

"Hey guys!" Jade forced a smile at Jason from across the bar. Finn had looked away quickly once he noticed her, his girlfriend shooting her a dirty look and then pretending not to care. She was beautiful, and that made Jade's blood boil for some stupid reason. Her long, blonde hair that flowed past her shoulders accentuated her giant boobs and hourglass figure, and Jade swore at herself not to be catty to the girl. It wasn't her fault Finn was a complete moron.

"Two beers." Jon held up two fingers. Jade couldn't help but feel like the entire bar was staring at them, and the bartender flashed them a grin before pulling two frosted mugs from a cooler and filling them to the brim. He slid the beers towards them, and Jon nodded before grabbing them both and walking to a table nearby.

"Jonny boy!" A man boomed from the pool table behind the bar, his voice so loud it made Jade jump.

"Hey, man." Jon smiled. He set their beers down before grabbing the man's hand and slapping him on the back. "How've you been?"

"Jade, didn't know you were in town." Jason suddenly came up behind Jade to grab her for a bear hug. She let out a squeak as he squeezed her tight, and she pulled away to give Chad a high five like he usually greeted her with. Jon glared at Jason as he wrapped his arms around her the way he did, but he continued his conversation with his friend and tried to ignore it.

"Guys, what's up?" Jade smiled.

"This is a little awkward." Jason cut to the chase. Chad rolled his eyes at his brashness and gave Jade an apologetic look. All three of them were well aware of the elephant in the room, but she kept her eyes from glancing in Finn's direction and instead on Chad who was clearly the logical one here.

"Just don't make me go over there." She said under her breath.

"Don't worry about it. Hey, you just missed Cass and Leah." Chad changed the subject like a good friend does.

"Oh, shitty." Jade frowned. She missed Leah, and tomorrow she would text her to see if they could catch up while she was back home.

"I bet Cass he couldn't fit six pickled eggs in his mouth, and he unfortunately could." Jason laughed. "They went home when he started barfing everywhere."

"The pickled eggs on the bar?" Jade nearly shouted pointing a finger towards a huge jar that had been there since the beginning of time. "Jesus Christ. No wonder he's sick." The three of them laughed, and Jade grabbed her beer that Jon had set down nearby to take a drink.

"Hey, guys." Jon was apparently finished with his conversation, and he strode over towards the men with his hand extended.

"Have you met Jason and Chad? Guys, this is Jon." Jade said taking a seat. Jon shook their hands, and the men stood awkwardly for a moment waiting for him to say something.

"Nice to meet you." Jason said with a smile to which he didn't respond. Jon sat down across from Jade and took his own beer in hand.

"We'll talk to you later." Chad smiled, and the two men returned to their table at the back where Finn and the others sat.

"Wanna leave?" Jon asked suddenly. Jade glanced at him and shook her head.

"No. Who was that guy you were talking to?"

"That's Ben. He's my old neighbour." He replied before looking over her shoulder at the table where Finn was sitting.

"Stop staring." Jade couldn't help but mutter. He didn't tear his eyes away as she poked his arm from across the table.

"Can't help it. He wants to stare, I can stare too." Jon groaned taking another gulp of beer. Jade cringed at the thought of him looking over here, but above everything else she could feel the good time they were having dying by the second. It wasn't like her to have this drama in her life, and she just wanted to enjoy the time they had alone and not on the road.

"Hey." Jade put a hand on his arm making him finally look at her. "You've already beat up one guy for me." She earned a smirk from him, his demeanour finally softening.

"Another wouldn't matter." He quipped taking a swig of beer.

Jade smiled and was quiet as she brushed her hair out of her eyes and ran her fingers through her ends. After a moment of primping, she looked up and saw he was staring at her again with those bright blue eyes.

"You're fucking beautiful." He said before looking away nervously. She loved when Jon said shit like that. It made her heart race when such sweet things came from a twisted guy like him.

"Let's go to my place." Jade suggested. "I have beer there."

* * *

By the time Jade and Jon got back to her apartment, it was 11 o'clock. She grabbed a few cans of beer for them out of the fridge and a bag of pretzels, and the two of them lounged on her couch watching the re-run of Smackdown from the night before. Dean Ambrose had defeated Dolph Ziggler, and Jade watched the screen intently as her match against Becky Lynch flashed across the screen.

"When did you start wrestling again?" Jon chewed with his mouth open beside her.

"I was 18." She shook her head. "My mom was so pissed."

"Why?" Jon frowned keeping his eyes on the screen. Jade had Becky on the mat in a headlock, and he smiled watching her scream at Becky to tap.

"When my dad and her split up, she couldn't stand to watch wrestling. I would watch it by myself or with my friends. I think it hurt her to know it's what took my dad away from her." Jade sighed. She couldn't blame her mom for feeling that way.

"And it took you from her too." Jon added washing down his mouthful of pretzels with a swig of beer.

"True." Jade shrugged. "But she figured it had to happen."

"I started when I was 18 too. Couldn't wait. I was ready at 16." Jon chuckled.

"Me too." Jade smiled as the ref counted to three with Becky's shoulders pinned to the mat, the bell ringing as Jade stood victorious in the ring. Shawn stood at ringside applauding his daughter as his face beamed with pride.

"Jesus." Jon ran a hand over his mouth watching her on screen. She stood on the top rope and screamed something to the crowd as her music hit.

"What?" Jade asked.

"You're badass in that ring." He smirked. "It's sexy."

"I have to admit, when you're in the ring, you scare me." Jade laughed when his head whipped towards her.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're a lunatic." She smiled.

"Yes, I am." He said opening his eyes wide like he did when he was in character.

"But now I know it's not just an act." Jade continued. "All that shit you did back in CZW, the bloody matches and barbed wire and glass, you did it because you're crazy. No sane person does that." She shook her head lightly as he watched her speak.

"I did what I did because I love what I do. And wrestling saved me from a life I didn't want to live." Jon took another drink of beer and set his bottle on the coffee table. It wasn't like him to open up like this to anyone, but it was common knowledge that he had come from a broken home and grew up in poverty.

"And now you're here with me." Jade said propping her elbow on the back of the couch and smiling at him.

"Here I am." He said quietly, his voice low as he put his arm on the couch and rested his hand on her elbow. "I don't know much longer I can sit here without touching you." He sounded desperate, and it made Jade's heart race. She felt the same way, and his rough fingers on her skin was making it hard to not jump on him right there.

Before she could say anything in response, Jon leaned over and kissed her. Jade's hand lifted to rest on his arm, and soon his was on her waist pulling her closer to him as he inched forward. It all happened so fast, and before she knew it, she had crawled over to straddle him on the couch. His hands ran up her back and pushed back her long hair that fell into his face.

Jade moaned when she felt his hard dick underneath her through his jeans. He smiled and slid his tongue into her mouth as she pressed herself against it, her own pants throbbing as their hands explored each other.

"Take me to bed." Jade gasped turning her head from Jon. He buried his face into her neck, his soft lips tracing her skin as he inhaled her scent.

He didn't answer, instead standing and taking her up with him. She squealed in delight when his strong arms wrapped around her and held her close effortlessly. His confidence as he quickly strode into her room turned her on even more, if it was even possible.

He sat on her bed and they continued where they left off. Jade took her top off over her head, and Jon's eyes stared down at her chest that was covered by a red lacy bra.

"How did I – why do you –" He stuttered for a moment before taking her lips again. Jade smiled at his compliment and ran her hands over his stomach. He was so strong, his abs rippling under his t-shirt, and she couldn't wait any longer to have him ravage her right there on her bed.

Jon whipped off his own shirt and was stunned when Jade pushed him to lay back on the bed. He moved backwards so his legs weren't hanging over the edge, and she crawled towards him running her fingers over the hot skin on his chest.

"I want you." Jade whispered into his ear as he nibbled on her neck. He grinned wide, his gaze turning to hers as he moved his hands from her side to her ass again. He was stunned, to say the least, by how much she turned him on and made him hard as rock. But he knew above everything else he had looked for a girl like her his entire life, and he had never found one remotely close until now.

"I am so fucking yours."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hey, guys! Sorry for the delay in posting a new chapter. Life has been so busy lately! But here is another juicy chapter! PS - Who's stoked for Wrestlemania this Sunday?!**_

 _ **Friday, March 18**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2016**_

"Stay in bed." Jon groaned. His eyes were closed, and Jade smiled at him waiting for him to open them again.

"I wish I could." She kissed him on the tip of his nose, his head on the pillow beside her as they laid in bed. They did the deed again the moment they woke up, and it was no doubt going to be all they did if one of them didn't make an effort to get out of bed.

"Then do it." Jon pouted pulling her closer to him. His arms were so strong, and he held her tight as she squirmed in his grasp.

"Let go." She giggled pushing against his bare chest. His skin was hot, his body like a furnace in bed with her all night, and she wished she could succumb to his forces and lay in his arms for the rest of the day.

"Mm-mm." He smiled as she continued to wiggle in his arms until he finally let go, his tired eyes flying open as he put his free hand on the small of her back. "Alright, alright. Jesus, you're a persistent thing."

"I have so much shit to do today." Jade groaned. She closed her eyes as he kissed her cheek and then her rosy lips.

"Me too. I dunno when I'll see you again." Jon's voice was especially rough first thing in the morning.

"I'm here until Sunday." Jade responded.

"I leave tomorrow for Tennessee." Jon's blue eyes stared into hers, and she felt her heart ache at the thought of him being away from her.

"So Monday?" She asked raising her eyebrows. He nodded and kissed her, her heart soon racing thinking of going for another round before they started their day. She pulled away and pushed back the blankets, and Jon leaned back to admire her naked figure walk from the edge of the bed towards the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" He asked. His eyes scanned every inch of her body as she stopped in the doorway, his gaze unabashedly focussed on her tits.

"Shower. C'mon."

* * *

 _1 Missed Call  
Finn  
9:23 a.m._

 _1 Missed Call  
Finn  
12:42 p.m._

 _1 Missed Call  
Finn  
5:01 p.m._

 _1 New Voicemail  
Finn  
5:04 p.m._

" _Hey, Jade. It's Finn. I have a feeling you're screening my calls, and I guess I don't blame you for that. I – listen, I just wanted to talk. It's been a while since we – since I broke things off. I know I jerked you around a lot and it was weird there for a while. I mean, that's not why I'm calling. It's just –_

 _You looked good last night. Really good. I heard what happened to you at that bar a few weeks ago, about how Jon was there to make sure the guy got what was comin' to him. I just wanted – I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to know you're okay. Please call me, Jade. Bye."_

 _ **Saturday, March 19**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2016**_

"What's going on with you and Jade? And before you say 'nothing', just remember that I know you, and I know there's something up." Colby was sitting across from Jon at the table in their hotel room, one that they decided to rent together for old times' sake, and the two of them were scarfing down their room service after a live show.

"You can't clam up about Paige and then expect me to open up to you." Jon shook his head and took a bite of his pasta.

"I don't kiss and tell." Colby retorted sarcastically. Jon rolled his eyes and eventually spoke with his mouth full.

"She's different, man. I mean, I know I've banged a lot of chicks and I've thought one or two along the way were somethin'. But Jade? She's – I dunno, man. She's different." Jon took another bite of his meal and frowned when Colby leaned back in his seat with wide eyes.

"You guys did it?" Colby asked. Jon immediately regretted opening up to Colby about the topic and angry with himself for absent-mindedly admitting that Jade and him were sleeping together.

"Col, you have to –"

"I won't say anything, man. But wow. HBK's daughter?" Colby grinned wide watching Jon squirm in his seat and pick at his food.

"Shut it." Jon groaned.

"Never seen you so bashful about a girl, Jon." Colby continued to prod him.

"I said she's different. Somethin' about her just makes me think - I dunno." Jon stopped himself.

"Makes you think what?" Colby asked taking a mouthful of salad.

"I think she's the one." Jon stared into his plate and prepared for the worst. As much as Colby was a good friend, he also had a knack for making Jon's life a living hell when he wanted to. No doubt this would be new material for him to taunt him about.

"Serious?" Colby asked earning a nod from Jon. "I hear rumblings of you facing me at Wrestlemania for the belt, and you wanna talk about Jade."

"Come on, man." Jon groaned into his plate. At this point he had almost lost his appetite. Colby was right. The biggest match of his life was coming up, and all he could think about was the dark-haired beauty that stole his heart.

"Be careful. You say she's different, but she better be. Not only do you have Shawn to worry about, but Paul will kill you if you break her heart." Colby shrugged.

His response was sincere, and Jon was a bit surprised Colby didn't take the bait to mock him for it. He couldn't admit it, but the thought had crossed his mind before. She was beautiful and funny, sweet and cruel when she needed to be, but she was also the daughter of a Hall of Famer, the pretty-much niece of the boss. If anything went sour between them, he knew it would be his head on the chopping block.

"It's worth it." Jon muttered to himself.

* * *

Jade had been avoiding Finn's calls since Thursday morning, but like clockwork every night since then he had called her and left a message to get back to him. A part of her thought he was just trying to be nice and hear her side of things from the attack at the bar that seemed like forever ago, but another part of her knew it was just another way for him to manipulate her heart into forgiving him for what he did. As much as she cared for Jon, a piece of her still ached for the stability that Finn and her had during their relationship. They had dated for a year, and the good times were sure good.

She held her phone in her hands and debated whether to finally call him back. It was 8 at night, and her flight to Memphis left at 8 in the morning. If she was going to have time to talk to him, now would be it before she went to bed and left town for god knows how long. She had his number on her screen ready to dial, but she sat thinking whether it was a conversation she wanted to have. It wasn't, and with finality she locked her phone and tossed it onto the couch beside her. Maybe Jon would call her when he got back to his hotel room tonight.

A knock at the door made her nearly jump from her seat. It wasn't the latest she ever had a friend randomly show up, but it had been a long time since that had happened. Walking to the door, another impatient knock rapped from the other side, and she nearly tripped over a kitchen chair getting to it.

"I'm coming." She said loudly. Peering through the hole, her heart dropped to her stomach. Finn stood there in a red zip-up hoodie and jeans, his hands in his pockets as he nervously shifted back and forth.

She hesitated for a moment with what to do when his voice called out to her.

"C'mon, Jade. It's me."

"What do you want?" She held the doorknob in her hand waiting for a response.

"I just wanna talk. Please?"

Jade rolled her eyes and unlocked the door. She opened it halfway and leaned against the frame with her arms crossed.

"Can I come in?" He asked shrugging his shoulders. His bright eyes pierced right through her, and Jade swore at herself to ignore how handsome he was and remember how much she hated him. She pushed the door open and stood to the side as he strode into her apartment.

"What do you want, Finn?" Jade shut the door and tucked her hair behind her ear. She was in her pyjamas but didn't really care if he saw her this way. He had seen her at her worst many times before.

"I called you and you wouldn't pick up. Why'd you make me come here?" Finn asked in his thick Irish slur.

"I didn't make you do anything. Maybe I just don't want to talk to you." Jade scowled leaning against her kitchen table. She began to question if letting him in was a good idea.

"Look, I heard what happened. I just wanted to hear it from you." Finn said shoving his hands into his pockets again.

"Why? It happened over a week ago, and now you're here expecting me to rehash it all over again just because you want to?" Jade shot at him.

"You got hurt, for Christ's sake." Finn interrupted her. "You don't think I'd care if someone laid hands on you?"

"Where's your girlfriend?" Jade crossed her arms earning an eye roll from him. "Shouldn't you be more worried about her?"

"Jade –" He began.

"No. I don't understand why you're even here in the first place." She shook her head.

"I miss you. Okay?" Finn blurted out. He ran a hand over his mouth and stared at her looking almost as stunned as she did. "I miss you, and I miss us."

"You miss us." Jade repeated what he said. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as his hazel eyes stared right at her.

"You were the best thing that ever happened to me. Knowing that something happened to you like this – I dunno. It kills me that someone else was there for you." He said nervously.

"I can't believe this." Jade nearly whispered.

"I don't know how I could ever ask you to forgive me." Finn shook his head taking a small step towards her.

"Then don't." Jade closed her eyes for a moment unable to look into his any longer. The anger in the pit of her stomach was bubbling, and tears stung at her eyes as the painful memory of their breakup replayed in her mind. "I forgave you a long time ago. But I can't be with someone like you anymore." Her voice quivered, and she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "Just go, Fergal."

He was quiet, and when Jade finally brought herself to look at him, she saw the defeated look on his face. His shoulders slumped down, and what she swore were tears welled in his eyes before he turned his back to her and walked to the door.

"I'll always be here, Jade." His throat caught, and her heart fluttered at the way her name rolled off her tongue. She was never able to stand that about him. He left and didn't look back, the door slamming behind him leaving a heavy silence in the apartment.

Jade slumped into a chair at her kitchen table. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands, and she swore at herself to not let him hurt her again like he had so many times. The wound that had healed so well over the months was ripped open again, and the man she knew could repair it was a thousand miles away.

 _ **Monday, March 21**_ _ **st**_ _ **, 2016**_

"Don't stress, darlin'. This ain't your first promo, and we know it ain't mine." Shawn said with his raspy voice.

"I know." Jade said quietly. She adjusted her wrestling tights and a new black top she had gotten for her match tonight. It made her tits look great, but it wasn't the most comfortable thing she had ever worn. As much as she felt invincible in the ring, being on camera cutting a promo wasn't her forte. It made her want to throw up from nerves even after spending years practicing and being on NXT.

"We're live in 10." A man behind the camera interjected.

Shawn placed a hand on her back assuringly and smiled at his daughter. "Ready?"

"I'm ready." She grinned back. As much as she had resented this storyline when it was first brought up to her, the fans seemed to love having HBK on RAW every night, and she also had to admit she enjoyed spending time with him backstage. Despite their rocky relationship in the past, her father was a wealth of knowledge when it came to wrestling, and she listened to every word he said when he gave his advice on how things should go. He was, after all, the greatest in-ring technician of all time, as the WWE liked to stress.

"Live in 3, 2." The man wearing a headset pointed at them, and soon the roar of the crowd could be heard when the image of Jade and Shawn backstage popped up on the Tron.

"You ready for your match?" Shawn asked her after a moment now completely in character.

"Of course." Jade grinned standing tall. "Just a stepping stone."

"A stepping stone?"

Charlotte and Ric walked around the corner and stood beside them, the camera now panning to include all four of them as the crowd booed loudly.

"You think you can just waltz in here and get a title match, and now you're calling me a stepping stone. Pathetic." Charlotte scoffed. Ric grinned widely behind her, Shawn's eyes fixated on him.

"Seeing as you've lost to Paige how many times, yes. You are a stepping stone, Charlotte." Jade quipped crossing her arms in front of her.

"Keep dreaming. Tonight after I beat you, you and your has-been of a father can sulk all the way to the back of the line." Charlotte hissed.

"I'll try to remember that after I pin you." Jade frowned. Charlotte took a step forward menacingly, and Jade did the same before her father put his hands on her shoulders to hold her back.

"Save it for the ring." Shawn growled still glaring at Ric who hadn't stopped smiling.

"Yeah, Jade. Listen to your daddy." Charlotte cooed at her. With that, they walked away chuckling about how pathetic the Michaels were, and the camera focussed on Jade's angry expression.

"Cut." The guy in the headset yelled. Everyone began to filter away to the next location where they would be filming, and Ashley and Ric came back around the corner with big smiles.

"Looking forward to tonight." Ric grabbed Shawn's hand and shook it vigourously.

"Me too." Shawn smiled. Charlotte and Jade gave each other a quick hug as their dads talked, and Jade watched her leave to get ready for their match that was starting in about 20 minutes.

Jade glanced around the backstage area at all the crew members mindlessly thumbing through pages and talking on their radios. RAW was in full swing, and everywhere you looked there was chaos. But in the corner of her eye, she caught a familiar face, one that had piercing blue eyes that she had missed for the last five days.

Jon smiled at her as he walked by. He was in his ring gear and heading somewhere important, by the looks of it, and she grinned back wondering if he would stop and say hello. He had a big match against Roman Reigns tonight, and Jade had heard rumours throughout the day that Jon was slated to face Colby at Wrestlemania. She wanted to run and ask if it was true and hoped he would come tell her himself, but instead he kept walking. He nodded lightly at her dad, something she took to mean he didn't want to disturb, and kept his pace towards the locker rooms.

"Jade." Shawn's voice tore Jade from her thoughts, and she turned to see Ric and her dad waiting for her to answer.

"Yeah. Sorry. What's up?" She asked.

"I said good luck tonight, kid." Ric said with a smile. "You remind me of your dad out there."

"Thanks." Jade nodded in appreciation. "Good luck to you and Ashley too."

She turned back and saw Jon was already gone, and her heart sunk a bit knowing that she probably wouldn't see him again until after the show. They both would be busy with post-match bullshit to talk until then.

"Let's go, darlin'." Shawn put an arm around her shoulder and led her towards gorilla. "Time to steal the show."

* * *

The match had gone off without a hitch, and Jade had done the unthinkable and beat Charlotte. Ric tried to interfere throughout the entire thing, and Shawn confronted him after he tried to grab Jade's feet from under the ropes. Charlotte finally got a taste of her own medicine when the distraction gave Jade the time to set up Sweet Chin Music, and the roll-up pin afterwards led to a three count.

It was late at night, and Jade was in her hotel room still riding the adrenaline rush from the roar of the crowd when Jon texted her. He was staying a few floors above her and asked if she wanted to come over to watch a movie before bed. She knew they wouldn't pay attention to a second of it and quickly grabbed a change of clothes for the morning in case she stayed overnight.

"Don't think about it." Jade thought out loud. As much as she had missed Jon, Finn had been heavy on her mind since he showed up at her house on Saturday night. His bright eyes and stupid accent drew her in every time, and the look of defeat on his face was imprinted on her mind. A few weeks ago she would have probably taken him back, but now she had found Jon, and the thought of being in his arms made her quicken her pace out the door.

Reaching the elevator, she pressed the button for the fourth floor and waited impatiently for it to start moving. She didn't want to bump into anyone on the way to Jon's room and have that awkward conversation. The doors opened, and she walked quickly down the hall to the room number Jon texted to her moments before: 452

Knocking lightly, she glanced back and forth down the silent hallway until the door opened. Jon was in a pair of basketball shorts and had no shirt on. His hair was wet, evidence he had just taken a shower, and he ran a towel over his chest drying himself off with a mischievous grin.

"Yes?" His raspy voice and blue eyes peeking at her under his long hair made her heart race, and she tried not to let her jaw drop staring at his bare torso. The desire to talk about their upcoming matches at Wrestlemania and the amazing news that Jon would be getting a title shot was suddenly forgotten, instead replaced with lust as her eyes grazed over his wet skin.

"Move." She pushed him back lightly and entered his room, the door slamming hard behind her. They dropped everything in their hands and kissed, and Jon's strong arms held her against his warm chest. She felt her heart pounding when he hoisted her up with ease, and she grinned when she felt his hands sliding under the back of her shirt.

"I missed you." She mumbled into his mouth as he walked towards his bed. Maybe she couldn't control herself around him, but she could at least try and get a few words in that weren't related to how badly she wanted him.

"Me too." He smiled. Jon sat down and pushed her hair away from her face, and soon his lips trailed down her neck. She dug her fingers lightly into his back as he kissed her chest and pulled her tank top down off her shoulders, his lips exploring her skin eagerly.

It didn't take long for them to become entangled in the sheets with their clothes long gone and their inhibitions along with them.

 _ **Tuesday, March 22**_ _ **nd**_ _ **, 2016**_

Jon glanced at the clock in the rented SUV he was driving. It was almost 11 at night, and the dashboard lights illuminated the dark cabin of the vehicle as he zoomed down the highway. Joe was asleep in the passenger seat beside him, and Jade and Paige were in the backseat passed out amongst their luggage. How he got looped into driving the four of them to Jackson where a live event was being held on Thursday was beyond him, but he took advantage of the peace and quiet to sort through his thoughts.

He looked in the rear-view mirror at Jade who was fast asleep against her window, the sweater balled up under her head clearly not very comfortable. Even fast asleep she was beautiful, and he jerked his eyes back to the dark road ahead of him. Letting out a sigh, Jon turned on the radio making sure the volume was low and he sank back into his seat.

" _This one's an oldie but a goodie, folks. Released in 1970, this band went on to record several other successful albums and is in the UK Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Kicking off the retro hour, here's Strangers by The Kinks."_

Jon felt his heart stir when the song began. He hadn't heard it before, and for some reason it caught his attention instead of it just being background noise. He glanced in his mirror at Jade who was still fast asleep hoping that the music wouldn't wake her. Paige and Jon were both snoring softly from their seats evidence that nothing would wake them anytime soon.

As he changed lanes to pass a slow driver that he came upon, Jon wondered what he was to Jade. He knew what she was to him, but she had been pretty adamant at the beginning of whatever they were that she wasn't looking for a relationship. Maybe sleeping with him was just a way for her to blow off some steam or have a good time, as women are entitled to do, but he wanted more, and he hoped she felt the same way. Living life on the road was a whirlwind where you barely had time for yourself let alone a partner, but his feelings were too strong to ignore, and it killed him to think that he could be nothing more than a fling to her.

Wrestlemania was less than two weeks away, and he would be fighting Colby for the title. There was no word on who would be victorious as that decision would be revealed to him at some point during the week of Mania, and it was heavy on his mind. Despite that fact, he still found himself thinking of Jade more often than he would like to admit, and more than anything how he just wanted to tell everyone she was his.

* * *

 _ **If you guys haven't heard Strangers by The Kinks, go check it out! :)**_


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